Anthropic proposes AI safety bill requiring a judge to block model releases, even for risks of 50+ deaths

Anthropic is pitching an AI safety policy that could allow a model to be blocked if it poses a risk of killing 50 or more people. The article says the proposal also prevents federal agencies from blocking a model’s release unless they get permission from a judge.

For AI developers, the reported judicial-approval requirement could reduce the risk of unilateral agency action before release, but it may also slow emergency intervention when severe harms are alleged. The key unanswered question is how quickly a judge could act in cases involving the proposed 50-person fatality threshold.