Bernie Sanders Had a Long Conversation With AI. Reddit Didn’t Hold Back

Senator Bernie Sanders’ conversation with Anthropic’s chatbot, Claude, sparked some serious debate about confirmation bias and AI sycophancy.

BY CHLOE AIELLO, REPORTER @CHLOBO_ILO

Photo: Bernie Sanders/@SenSanders

Sen. Bernie Sanders recently sat down with Anthropic’s chatbot Claude to discuss everything from AI data privacy to data center development. 

In the 9-minute video, posted to Sanders’ YouTube channel, the independent Senator from Vermont has a conversation with Claude, Anthropic’s AI chatbot. The video, which is set in a dark room to slightly sinister music, currently has about 2.6 million views.

“What an AI agent says about the dangers of AI is shocking and should wake us up,” the video’s caption reads.

But the internet, Reddit in particular, has some thoughts.

How Anthropic's Claude AI Became a Co-Founder

“Using AI to confirm a decision you already made is the worst way to use this technology,” one user wrote in the ClaudeAI subreddit.

Among the so-called revelations that Claude shares with Sanders is that AI companies are “manipulating consumer behavior” by collecting detailed profiles of users for profit, targeting users with specific ads, and even charging different people different prices for the same products.

“What’s the goal here? Money, Senator, it’s fundamentally about profit,” Claude says, using a voice that sounds like a young woman, complete with slight vocal fry. 

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