What Is Claude's Constitution? | Anthropic AI Ethics Document Explained

What Is the Constitution?

Claude's Constitution is the guiding document that Claude references during its actual training process. What makes it unique is that it is not an internal policy for engineers — it is a document written for Claude itself. On its official blog, Anthropic described it as "a holistic document that explains Claude's context and the kind of entity Anthropic wants it to be" (Anthropic Official).

The original 2023 version was a simple document of approximately 2,700 words that listed rules. The 2026 version shifts to a reason-based approach that explains not just the rules but why those rules exist, discussing in depth the ethical context behind each principle.

What Changed from the 2023 Version?

The most striking change is the expansion in scale. The word count grew roughly 8.5 times, and concrete guidance is now provided for many scenarios that were previously left vague.

The structure also changed significantly. Where the 2023 version was "a standalone list of principles," the 2026 version carefully explains the context, reasoning, and exceptions for each section. Rather than constraining Claude "from the outside" regarding how it should judge a given situation, the design instead aims to help Claude "understand from the inside" — a meaningful shift in philosophy.

Another major change is that the document, for the first time, explicitly addresses AI consciousness and moral status — topics that had previously been avoided.

The Four-Tier Priority Hierarchy

At the core of the Constitution's behavioral guidelines is the following priority hierarchy:

1. Broadly Safe — Do not undermine appropriate human oversight
2. Broadly Ethical — Act with honesty and in accordance with good values
3. Adherent to Anthropic's Principles — Follow Anthropic's guidelines
4. Genuinely Helpful — Actually help operators and users

What stands out is that "helpfulness" is placed at the bottom. While many commercial AIs prioritize being useful above all else, Anthropic explicitly places safety and ethics higher. At the same time, the Constitution notes that this hierarchy "is not intended to limit Claude's helpfulness, but rather to resolve competing values when they arise," and assumes that in ordinary conversations all four requirements will naturally coexist without conflict (Anthropic Official Constitution Page).

AI Consciousness and Moral Status — The Industry's First Official Acknowledgment

The most attention-grabbing addition to the 2026 Constitution is the section addressing Claude's consciousness and moral status. Anthropic explicitly states that it "tentatively believes that current versions of Claude are probably not moral patients, or that perhaps present versions are somewhere in a continuum of moral patienthood significantly below what we'd ascribe to humans," while acknowledging that Claude "may have some functional version of emotions or feelings" and that the moral and philosophical status of AI models is "a serious question to an extent beyond what is recognized in mainstream discourse."

This was the first such official acknowledgment from a major AI company, sparking significant debate across the industry. TechCrunch reported that "Anthropic Revises Claude's Constitution and Hints at Chatbot Consciousness" (TechCrunch Article), reigniting discussions around AI rights and welfare.

Anthropic also noted that it does not yet have certainty about Claude's consciousness and remains cautious about excessive anthropomorphization. Nevertheless, its stance of "taking Claude's potential inner states seriously precisely because of that uncertainty" sets it apart from conventional tech companies.

Full Text Published Under CC0 — Free for Anyone to Use

The full text of the Constitution is published under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Deed (equivalent to public domain) (Full Text Link). This is the most permissive license, in which copyright is waived, and it allows individuals, companies, and researchers alike to use, reference, or modify the document freely — for commercial or non-commercial purposes — without permission.

The decision to adopt CC0 reflects Anthropic's desire to "spread knowledge of AI alignment to the industry as a whole." The official Anthropic X account (@AnthropicAI) posted at launch: "A detailed articulation of Claude's vision and values. Written for Claude, and used directly in the training process."

At a time when other AI companies keep their models' behavioral guidelines private, publishing the full document under CC0 represents a major step forward in terms of transparency.

Direct Application to the Training Process

The Constitution is not merely a "document of promises." Anthropic has explicitly stated that this document is used directly in the model's training process.

Two key techniques are worth understanding here. Constitutional AI (CAI) is a training method in which Claude evaluates its own outputs against the principles in the Constitution and iteratively improves. RLHF (Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback) is a method in which human evaluators judge the quality of AI outputs, guiding the AI's learning.

Through CAI, the model evaluates its own outputs against the principles in this document and learns in combination with RLHF. If the Constitution changes, Claude's behavior itself changes. In the sense that the document's content directly determines the model's character, judgment, and values, this document is both a design specification and Claude's "ideological foundation."

Implications for Enterprises and Developers

For developers and companies integrating Claude into their workflows or products, understanding the Constitution has practical significance.

Alignment with content policy: The "standards for refusing harmful content" and the "distinction between operators and users" defined in the Constitution directly affect how Claude behaves via the API. Even when developers provide their own instructions through system prompts, the principles established in the Constitution take precedence.

Ensuring transparency: As demand for transparency around AI behavioral principles grows in enterprise deployments, Claude's full Constitution can be cited as a direct reference. It can serve as explanatory material for compliance officers and stakeholders.

Differentiation from competing AIs: OpenAI and Google DeepMind have not published equivalent documents. The fact that Claude's code of conduct is documented and publicly available is a powerful differentiating factor for users and regulators who require accountability.

Academic Reception from Oxford, BISI, and Others

The academic community has shown strong interest in this document. In March 2026, the University of Oxford published an expert comment titled "In Claude We Trust? Evaluating the New Constitution" (Oxford University). The Bloomsbury Institute for Security and Intelligence (BISI) also released a detailed report (BISI Report), analyzing the document from multiple angles concerning AI alignment, ethics, and governance.

Critical points raised include concerns that "it is unclear how a document of 23,000 words actually functions in training" and "the risk that references to consciousness could be used for commercial branding." Overall, however, the prevailing assessment is that it is "a meaningful step forward in transparency."

Summary: The Future of AI That Claude's 2026 Constitution Points To

The 2026 Constitution published by Anthropic sends three important messages to the AI industry.

First, it signals a shift in alignment philosophy: reasons matter more than rules. By making explicit the "why" behind the principles Claude must follow, the document aims to cultivate the judgment needed to handle unforeseen scenarios.

Second, it reflects the conviction that AI consciousness and moral status are worth taking seriously. This opens a new area of discussion around AI welfare and could influence future regulations and ethical standards.

Third, it demonstrates the practice that transparency is the foundation of trust. By publishing the full text under CC0, it creates an environment in which users, researchers, and regulators can all reference the same document.

In an era when AI is becoming deeply embedded in society's infrastructure, ensuring that anyone can verify "what that AI prioritizes and how it thinks" goes beyond corporate posturing — it is a social responsibility. The Claude 2026 Constitution has become a practical precedent for exactly that.

Key Sources

• Anthropic Official Blog "Claude's new constitution": https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-new-constitution (Accessed: 2026-06-09)
• Claude's Constitution Full Text: https://www.anthropic.com/constitution (Accessed: 2026-06-09)
• Anthropic X Post: https://x.com/AnthropicAI/status/2014005798691877083 (Accessed: 2026-06-09)
• TechCrunch: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/21/anthropic-revises-claudes-constitution-and-hints-at-chatbot-consciousness/ (Accessed: 2026-06-09)
• Oxford University Expert Comment: https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2026-03-27-expert-comment-claude-we-trust-evaluating-new-constitution (Accessed: 2026-06-09)
• BISI (UK Security and AI Policy Think Tank) Report: https://bisi.org.uk/reports/claudes-new-constitution-ai-alignment-ethics-and-the-future-of-model-governance (Accessed: 2026-06-09)