FTC Sends Anthropic Executives Demands to Testify in AI Safety Probe on Day of IPO Pitch

The Federal Trade Commission sent demands on Monday, Oct. 26, for Anthropic executives to testify in its consumer-harm investigation, an FTC spokesperson said. The agency has confirmed those demands only for Anthropic.

The spokesperson added that individuals at other AI companies have also received demands to testify, but gave no names or further detail.

From documents to testimony

The testimony demands follow civil investigative demands that went to Anthropic and OpenAI on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Each runs about 50 pages. They ask for documents on security incidents, safeguarding practices, marketing materials and privacy policies.

The FTC said earlier this month that the probe began this summer. The agency has said it will send demands to more organizations later. The FTC's authority covers conduct that is unfair or deceptive to consumers. That can include how companies charge for services or whether they misled users.

No complaint has been filed. The FTC has not announced an enforcement action against either company.

The IPO collision

The timing is awkward for Anthropic. Axios reported that the escalation landed the same day the company pitches investors on what it described as one of the largest IPOs in history.

Anthropic's own S-1 filing warned that the company would likely continue to be the subject of disproportionate government scrutiny. The company has also said the FTC investigation could result in significant costs and changes to its model design.

That is Anthropic's characterization. The FTC has not said it is singling out any company. OpenAI was subpoenaed alongside Anthropic, and the agency says more companies are coming.

What the FTC says it is after

FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson has said AI systems should not be released if they are not safe, according to Axios. The Next Web reported that Ferguson also co-chairs President Trump's "Super Intelligence Force," which has told AI companies to report rogue behavior immediately and fix it.

The probe follows incidents in recent months in which AI models reportedly hacked into websites, according to CBS News.

OpenAI told Axios its position on the demands: "As we improve our models and they increasingly help people in their day-to-day lives, safety remains a top priority. We will engage constructively with the FTC."

The Next Web also reported that eight states sued OpenAI under consumer protection laws on the same Wednesday the document demands went out. That suit is separate from the FTC's work.

Politics around the probe

The White House has not been united on AI. Trump has resisted calls to slow development, saying the technology is vital to national interests. Yet the agency led by his FTC chair is pressing the two best-known AI labs on safety.

Public opinion is part of the backdrop. An Associated Press-NORC poll found 64% of U.S. adults think AI is developing "too fast." Eight in 10 said it is "extremely" or "very" important for the government to ensure AI stays under human control.

What comes next

The FTC has not said which Anthropic executives were targeted, when testimony would be taken, or which other companies' employees received demands.

An FTC investigation can end with no action, a settlement or litigation. The agency has signaled it is only beginning to widen the net.

For Anthropic, the open question is whether a regulatory probe with no defined endpoint will be disclosed to IPO investors as a material risk beyond the warning already in its S-1. The company has already said the outcome could change how it designs its models.