# Anthropic grants external watchdog employee-like access to its models

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-10-18T16:25:19Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/anthropic-grants-external-watchdog-employee-like-access-to-its-models

## Summary

Anthropic announced that the nonprofit evaluator METR now has employee‑like access to its hardware and internal systems to assess model risks. METR, which has previously worked with OpenAI, Google and Meta, has a team embedded in Anthropic’s office to conduct the audits.

The move follows a proposal by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei that was supported by OpenAI’s Sam Altman and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, aiming to increase safeguards as AI models become more powerful. Anthropic said the arrangement mirrors bank supervision, where regulators place resident examiners inside major banks. Critics have argued the setup could create conflicts of interest and called for stronger government regulation. Anthropic countered that full public disclosure might aid malicious actors or competitors. OpenAI has yet to lay out plans to bring in evaluators.

## Key points

- Anthropic gave METR employee‑like access to its hardware and internal systems for risk assessment.
- METR, a nonprofit that has worked with OpenAI, Google and Meta, is now embedded in Anthropic’s office.
- Critics say the arrangement could create conflicts of interest and urge more government regulation.

## Why it matters

Embedding third‑party auditors in AI labs could set a new standard for transparency and safety, influencing how the industry manages powerful models.

## Sources

1. [Anthropic gives outside AI watchdog “employee-like” access](https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/10/anthropic-gives-outside-ai-watchdog-employee-like-access) (Ars Technica AI, 2026-10-18)

Part of the developing story: [AI Agents Spark Security Crisis and Safety Scrutiny](https://digestai.news/thread/ai-agents-linked-to-openai-attempted-hacks-on-unm-data-usa-and-australian) (5 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Anthropic grants external watchdog employee-like access to its models", 18 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/anthropic-grants-external-watchdog-employee-like-access-to-its-models

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