Don't Worry About the Vase Podcast Anthropic Responsible Scaling Policy v3: A Matter of Trust
Apr 1, 2026
Sam Bowman, an Anthropic researcher and commentator, gives a concise take on RSP v3 and why transparency and reporting matter. The conversation covers the policy shift from hard barriers to aspirational safeguards. Short, sharp scenes debate honesty, trust, broken promises, strategic racing, and whether clearer accountability really changed outcomes.
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From Hard Barriers To Internal Judgement
- RSPv3 removes firm release barriers and replaces them with internal cost-benefit reasoning about risks versus benefits.
- Zvi praises the honesty but warns this weakens the pre-commitment that previously pressured better safety behavior.
Enforce Consequences For Broken Promises
- Hold actors accountable for breaking promises even if the consequentialist case for their change is strong.
- Zvi: correctness of a decision doesn't erase the reputational and coordination costs of promise-breaking.
Plans Still Matter Without Binding Promises
- Planning and non-binding actions still improve safety even when formal commitments fail.
- Zvi notes Anthropic may care about safety but will act by judgement, leaving stakeholders to decide how much to trust them.