Anthropic and OpenAI negotiate how much AI evaluators can publish

Anthropic and OpenAI are negotiating with third-party AI evaluators over terms that could give the companies substantial control over which findings see daylight. That is according to a Reuters report published on October 13, 2026. From pledge to fine print On September 12, 2026, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei committed to giving outside evaluators “ongoing, employee-like access” to the company. He also promised they would be free to publish findings on critical issues, including risks and safety practices. There was one caveat. Amodei left room for necessary redactions, the polite term for blacking out the parts a company would rather competitors not read. OpenAI’s Sam Altman fell in line with similar principles in mid-September 2026. The negotiations have since tilted the other way. According to the research summarizing the Reuters findings, talks have swung toward the companies asserting editorial control over what evaluators release. Both firms reportedly started by seeking strict oversight over which publications would be accepted. They then relaxed those constraints slightly in the days that followed. Why embedded evaluators complicate everything Much of the friction centers on e...