Definition

Constitutional AI teaches models to follow a set of written principles—like a “mini-constitution”—that guide how they respond. Instead of only learning from human feedback, the AI also learns from rules that reflect safety, ethics, or values.

Example

Constitutional AI might include a rule like: ‘Never give harmful advice,’ and the AI learns to follow that.

How It’s Used in AI

Used to make models more consistent, safe, and aligned with human values. This method reduces the need for constant human feedback and helps avoid harmful or biased behavior. It’s built into models like Claude to help them act more responsibly.

Brief History

Developed by Anthropic in 2022, Constitutional AI was introduced as a way to make alignment more scalable. It became a core part of how Claude models are trained to behave safely without relying only on reinforcement learning.

Key Tools or Models

Most known for use in Claude (Anthropic). It’s also being explored in hybrid training pipelines alongside RLHF and other alignment strategies. Tools include rule-based evaluation, red-teaming, and iterative feedback on rule-following.

Pro Tip

Constitutional AI works best when rules are clear and easy to apply. Vague principles lead to vague behavior—so design your “constitution” carefully.