Netflix co-founder and former CEO, Reed Hastings, has joined the board of Anthropic, an AI safety and research company.
Hastings has previously shown an interest in the future of AI, including investing in AI initiatives. He gave a $50 million gift to Bowdoin College, where he earned his BA in mathematics, to be used for its AI and Humanity research project. The project is described as a initiative to “empower students and faculty to critically examine, thoughtfully utilize, and ethically shape AI’s trajectory.”
“The Long Term Benefit Trust appointed Reed because his impressive leadership experience, deep philanthropic work, and commitment to addressing AI’s societal challenges make him uniquely qualified to guide Anthropic at this critical juncture in AI development,” said Buddy Shah, Chair of Anthropic’s Long Term Benefit Trust.
The statement continues “As someone who’s both built Netflix into a global platform and invested heavily in education reform and digital infrastructure in emerging markets, he brings a practical understanding of how to ensure technology serves broader societal goals from the start.”
Anthropic says its purpose is “the responsible development and maintenance of advanced AI for the long-term benefit of humanity.” Some board members are elected by stakeholders and the Long-Term Benefit Trust, a group of “financially disinterested” members who are focused on the long-term mission of the company to use AI to benefit humanity.
“Anthropic is very optimistic about the AI benefits for humanity, but is also very aware of the economic, social, and safety challenges,” Hastings said. “I’m joining Anthropic’s board because I believe in their approach to AI development, and to help humanity progress.”
In addition to Hastings, the Board of Directors includes Anthropic founders Dario Amodei and Daniela Amodei (former OpenAI employees), Yasmin Razavi, and Jay Kreps.