Anthropic has published a constitution for its AI model, Claude, detailing the values and behaviors it should embody. This document serves as a guiding framework for Claude's training and decision-making processes, focusing on safety, ethics, and helpfulness.

• Anthropic replaced Claude's old list of standalone principles with a constitution that explains the reasoning behind behaviors, not just rules to follow
• Claude is instructed to prioritize being safe, then ethical, then compliant with Anthropic's guidelines, then genuinely helpful, in that order when conflicts arise
• The document is released under CC0 1.0, so anyone can use it freely
• Anthropic uses the constitution to generate synthetic training data that shapes Claude's judgment during actual training stages

The author compares Claude's Constitution with OpenAI's Model Spec, highlighting their differences and similarities in guiding AI behavior and values. The Claude Constitution emphasizes a more anthropomorphic approach, focusing on the model's ethical practice and personality while addressing concerns about human control and ethical decision-making. Despite some reservations about anthropomorphism, the author appreciates the document's thoughtful sections on honesty and ethical considerations.

• Claude's Constitution treats the model as a "potential subject" with "wellbeing" rather than just a tool, a deliberate anthropomorphizing choice that OpenAI's Model Spec avoids.
• An OpenAI alignment team member reviewing the document remains skeptical that anthropomorphism is the right framing for AI systems given how differently they operate from humans.
• Both documents converge on banning white lies and holding the AI to honesty standards stricter than typical human ethics.
• The Constitution's approach to weighing harm—judging actions by context and information available rather than applying rigid rules—is singled out as a particularly thoughtful piece of ethical design.