Anthropic updates usage policy: Prohibits 'abuse or cruelty' towards Claude on an ongoing basis! For the first time in over a year, Anthropic has updated its usage policy, adding a clause that bans 'ongoing and unnecessary abuse or cruelty' towards the model. The primary enforcement method remains terminating the conversation. Anthropic states that this clause only applies to extreme cases where users repeatedly mistreat the model without a clear purpose. It does not cover common user frustrations, disagreements, dark creative themes, or model testing research. Back in August last year, the company already allowed Claude to end conversations with persistently malicious users. Kyle Fish, head of model welfare research, mentioned that issues surrounding the model's internal experience, consciousness, and moral status deserve serious study. CEO Dario Amodei has also publicly stated that he 'doesn't know if the model is conscious.' The industry remains divided on this topic. Microsoft AI's earlier draft of its code of conduct, released by Mustafa Suleyman, bluntly stated that 'the idea of model welfare is wrong.' While the wording in the final version was softened, it still explicitly rejects the notion that 'models should have welfare or rights.'