Artificial intelligence (AI) giant Anthropic says it will commit 5% of its shares to a fund that will make donations for the "public good". This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
The announcement comes as Anthropic lays the ground for a potential blockbuster stock market listing that could value the firm at more than $1tn (£750bn). The AI industry has come under intense scrutiny recently over safety concerns and fears about its impact on society and the economy. Anthropic reportedly said in its initial public offering (IPO) filing that AI could pose "catastrophic or existential risks to humanity".
Anthropic said its proposed fund could support nonprofit organisations, and efforts to address AI's impact on the jobs market. None of the shares held by the fund would be used for lobbying or political donations in the US or overseas, it added. Anthropic's Public Benefit Fund could also receive another 2% of the firm's shares at its board's discretion, the Claude developer said in a statement released on Sunday.
Technology billionaire Elon Musk responded to the announcement on social media with: "I recommend giving the shares directly to the public." "This is what I will be doing," he added.
Last week, Anthropic told prospective investors that its revenue surged by 45% to $16.8bn (£12.6bn) in the three months to the end of September. In common with other AI firms, it is seeking to position itself as being able to generate huge profits despite spending billions on developing the technology and building infrastructure to power its models.
Companies around the world, primarily technology firms, have cut thousands of jobs after investing in AI, with many pointing to higher efficiencies from its adoption. Research by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published in 2024 suggested that almost 40% of jobs around the world will be affected by AI, with that figure rising as high as 60% in advanced economies.
In September, a researcher who quit Anthropic said people working on the technology were "genuinely frightened" about the speed of its advancements and what it could mean for humanity. "I believe that if we don't slow down at the current rate of progress, there is a strong chance that we could all die in the immediate future," he said.
Jacob Coxon was speaking to the BBC after his resignation post on the dangers of AI went viral on a backdrop of growing safety concerns about the industry. The 27-year-old's former boss, Anthropic head Dario Amodei, had previously called for AI development to slow down - though some have questioned the motivations behind this.
The bosses of two rival AI firms, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Musk, have both said they agree with Amodei's proposal for industry-wide deceleration and regulation, as well as independent monitoring of AI model development. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump and the heads of major AI firms signed a "morally binding" document, making them responsible for ensuring the safety of their own technology.
Trump has repeatedly rejected the idea of laws to control development of the technology despite a debate about the potential risks of AI and what it means for humanity. Since then, the president has named the director of national intelligence Jay Clayton as the head of a new taskforce on AI which, he said, will co-ordinate government engagement with consumers, companies and "religious organizations".