Adds details about Anthropic's policy proposal in paragraph 4-5

By Courtney Rozen

WASHINGTON, June 10 (Reuters) - Anthropic called on the U.S. Congress on Wednesday not to block state laws regulating AI unless lawmakers enact a "rigorous" federal law that addresses "catastrophic AI risks," according to a company statement.

The company also urged Congress to require AI companies to put their most powerful models through independent safety tests, according to the statement.

Anthropic is aiming to influence regulation of AI as it prepares for a U.S. initial public offering. The listing would represent one of the most consequential stock ​market debuts in years, potentially reshaping benchmark indexes, investor flows and the broader narrative driving U.S. equities.

The company on Wednesday also urged Congress and states to modernize the technology used to pay unemployment benefits to prepare for potential AI-driven layoffs. Half of Americans fear that the rise of AI could put them or someone in their household ​out of work, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday.

The technology used to pay unemployment benefits is "not sufficiently prepared for a large labor market shock," the company said.