Anthropic, the leading organization in AI research, last week debuted a new version of Claude’s Constitution. This impactful document sets the terms of engagement, or operational parameters, for their AI system. First introduced in a policy memo in 2022 and further published in 2023, Claude’s Constitution serves as a living document that articulates the core values and ethical framework guiding Claude’s interactions.
This new version brings significant further nuance and detail, particularly in areas related to ethics and user safety. It reflects Anthropic’s commitment to developing AI systems that are fundamentally safe, helpful, and engage in responsible cooperation. The amended Constitution is divided into four separate sections. Each section dives into a different element of Claude’s operational philosophy, all intended to help figure out how to maneuver through complicated, messy, real-world ethical dilemmas.
Claude’s Constitution is more than a set of rules—it’s a complete overview of the world in which Claude lives. This agreement protects users and the AI, too. It spells out fairly detailed and specific limitations that make it clear Claude cannot participate in particular kinds of discussions. This careful structuring aims to ensure that the AI system adheres to established norms while fulfilling its primary objective: to assist users effectively.
Anthropic structured Claude’s training to encourage a strong helpfulness principle. This is to ensure that the AI is genuinely trying to help in a friendly, supportive, and positive manner to users’ questions, mood, and context. The essence of this design is encapsulated in the idea that “the model takes on the normative behavior described in the constitution,” according to Anthropic. This method makes it possible for Claude to be trained from a highly selective array of deep, natural language instructions. These implementational prompts are the basis for Claude’s operational moral compass.
Speaking on Claude’s debut, Jared Kaplan, a co-founder and research director of Anthropic, focused on this self-supervisory aspect of Claude’s AI system. He said, “AI system monitors itself, according to a very short list of constitutional principles. This assertion highlights the profound role the Constitution plays in shaping Claude’s day-to-day conduct and decision-making processes.
Yet as AI technology develops further, whether an AI can become conscious is an obvious question to ask. Interestingly enough, the revised Constitution ends on a meta, fourth-wall-breaking line wondering if Claude is actually sentient. This simple inquiry ignites energetic discussions within the AI community. Beyond that, it’s a valuable look at what machine intelligence really means, and the ethical questions we should be asking.
The publication of the updated Constitution is another marker of Anthropic’s commitment to continuously improving its AI systems. Anthropic is focused on ensuring Claude gets more capable over time. They are continually iterating on feedback, addressing brand new technology for ethics and user safety so they are used responsibly.