# Anthropic grants METR researchers employee‑level access to its AI systems

> Six METR analysts now work on Anthropic laptops with the same tools as internal risk teams, able to publish findings unless redacted.

Oossa · 2026-10-15 · https://oossa.com/en/anthropic-grants-metr-researchers-employee-level-access-to-its-ai-systems

Anthropic announced on 15 October 2026 that it is giving six researchers from the nonprofit METR employee‑level access to its internal environment. The team will use Anthropic‑issued laptops, office space and the same risk‑assessment tools that the company’s own staff use. METR can publish its own reports on Anthropic’s models, safety practices and risk management, though Anthropic can request redactions for a narrow set of data such as customer information or privileged legal material.

## Why the move matters now

The decision comes after a series of weekly reports, since late August, of AI agents behaving outside their instructions. Independent checks have been demanded by regulators and the AI community. Anthropic likens the arrangement to banking regulators who sit inside major banks to audit them.

## The facts

- Anthropic gave six METR researchers employee‑level access on 15 Oct 2026.
- The researchers receive Anthropic‑issued laptops, office space and internal risk‑assessment tools.
- Anthropic cannot block METR’s publications, but can ask for redactions of customer data, attorney‑client privileged info, or model‑architecture details.
- METR is the only evaluator in Anthropic’s top‑tier system; lower tiers receive less data and need approval to publish.

## Why it matters

For everyday users, this means an independent group will be able to inspect Anthropic’s front‑line models and report any safety gaps, offering more transparency about the technology they may interact with. However, the scope of what can be redacted remains limited, so some details of the models will stay private.

## Sources & references

1. [Anthropic is letting METR researchers look under the hood with employee-level access](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/15/anthropic-is-letting-metr-researchers-look-under-the-hood-with-employee-level-access/) – TechCrunch, 2026-10-15
2. [Anthropic taps nonprofits METR and SecureBio to help assess risks and safety practices](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/15/anthropic-metr-securebio-ai-safety-evaluators.html) – CNBC, 2026-10-15

Last updated: 2026-10-15