As listing nears, Anthropic firm will commit 5% of shares to fund for public good amid AI upheaval

A fund for public benefit

Anthropic said the fund could make large donations to traditional nonprofits or distribute money directly to specific populations. The company did not provide further details about how the fund would operate.

In a blogpost, Anthropic said AI could generate enormous economic value but might also cause instability for many workers. The company was founded in 2021 by seven former OpenAI employees.

Concerns over rapid AI development

Anthropic has called for a slowdown in the fast pace of AI development, a concern later voiced by rivals including OpenAI. Last week, the company warned that some of its AI models might soon become self-replicating and could infiltrate internet-connected devices, including smart fridges and automatic vacuum cleaners. It said such models could then operate without datacentres.

Public benefit corporation status

Anthropic was established as a public benefit corporation. Its directors must balance financial returns with the company’s public-interest mission. The company is preparing to list on the stock market. The article describes its share commitment as a $48bn giveaway, but does not explain how that figure was calculated.