Slate Daily Feed ICYMI - Anthropic Isn't Woke
Mar 7, 2026
Tony Ho Tran, Slate editor covering tech and culture, explains why Anthropic's recent stand is more complex than praise or blame. He walks through the Pentagon dispute, celebrity-driven surges for Claude, and the company’s safety messaging. The conversation questions whether corporate posturing equals moral leadership and outlines legal and structural pressures shaping AI companies.
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Katy Perry Bought Claude Pro And Flaunted It
- Katy Perry publicly posted a screenshot showing she bought Claude Pro for $214.99, fueling celebrity-driven enthusiasm.
- That purchase, plus mass downloads, pushed Claude ahead of ChatGPT in Apple's App Store for a short time and became a cultural moment.
Anthropic's $1.5B Copyright Settlement
- Anthropic settled a $1.5B class-action copyright lawsuit claiming it used 7 million digitized copyrighted books to train models like Claude.
- The settlement acknowledged illegal acquisition even as the judge found training was fair use, making it a mixed symbolic outcome.
How Anthropic Built A Safety-First Image
- Anthropic cultivated a "safety-first" and intellectual vibe that made it seem like the ethical alternative in AI.
- The company used branding, Super Bowl ads, and product positioning to present Claude as a cooler, adult-oriented chatbot than rivals.