OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has accused his rival company Anthropic of using “fear-based marketing” for its new cybersecurity model, Mythos. According to Altman, this approach is a tactic to keep advanced technology in the hands of an elite few.

“There are people in the world who have long wanted to keep AI in the hands of a smaller group,” he said during a podcast appearance on Core Memory. “You can justify that by saying you’re protecting society, but it’s clearly incredible marketing.”

The debate over fear-based marketing extends beyond just Anthropic and OpenAI. As AI technology advances, concerns about misuse by cybercriminals are becoming more common. Critics argue that such rhetoric is overblown and may hinder wider adoption of beneficial applications.

Sam Altman has previously employed similar scare tactics himself, noting the potential risks of unchecked AI development. “It’s clearly incredible marketing to say, ‘We have built a bomb, we are about to drop it on your head. We will sell you a bomb shelter for $100 million,’” he said.

The balance between caution and progress in AI is contentious. While fear-based marketing may help protect against misuse, some argue that it could stifle innovation and limit the technology’s potential benefits for society as a whole.