Anthropic Commits 5% of Shares to Public Benefit Fund Addressing AI Job Disruption

Reviewed byNidhi Govil

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Anthropic announced it will commit 5% of its shares to a new Public Benefit Fund ahead of its planned IPO, potentially valued at $2 trillion. The fund aims to address AI job disruption and safety concerns, with the stake increasing by 2% for every 50% rise in company value above an undisclosed baseline.

Anthropic Commits 5% of Shares to Address AI's Societal Impact

Anthropic announced Sunday it will commit 5% of its shares to a newly established Anthropic Public Benefit Fund, pending shareholder approval

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. At the AI company's latest valuation of approximately $965 billion, this stake represents around $48 billion in value

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. The commitment comes as Anthropic prepares for a blockbuster IPO expected as soon as November, with an anticipated valuation around $2 trillion

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. The company reported third-quarter revenue of $16.8 billion, marking a 45% surge from the previous quarter

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Source: New York Post

Source: New York Post

The Public Benefit Fund will operate as a wholly owned limited liability company rather than a traditional tax-exempt charity, providing flexibility to pursue different forms of giving

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. Anthropic emphasized that none of the equity held by the fund will be used for lobbying or political giving in the United States or internationally

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Growing Stake Tied to Company Valuation Milestones

The fund's commitment is designed to scale with Anthropic's growth. The board may add an additional 2% of shares for every 50% increase in the company's value above an undisclosed baseline

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. This structure means the fund's stake could expand significantly as Anthropic continues its trajectory. The company stated it will share more details about the fund's structure, governance, and specific valuation milestones in the coming months

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Combined with existing commitments, approximately 20% of Anthropic's stock will now be pledged to public causes

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. The company's founders have already pledged to donate 80% of their equity holdings, and Anthropic operates an equity donation program that allows employees to pledge shares to charities

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Addressing AI Job Disruption and Economic Concerns

The fund will focus on addressing AI job disruption and workforce disruptions caused by advancing technology

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. Anthropic acknowledged that "AI may generate enormous economic value, but it could also cause instability for many workers"

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. The company said the fund would have the versatility to pursue "bolder approaches" that might be necessary to offset labor market impacts

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Source: Fast Company

Source: Fast Company

An August 2026 Pew Research Center report found that 71% of adults believe AI will lead to fewer jobs in the United States over the next two years

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. Research by the International Monetary Fund published in 2024 suggested that almost 40% of jobs worldwide will be affected by AI, with that figure rising to 60% in advanced economies

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. The fund "might explore large donations to traditional non-profits or direct distributions to specific populations," according to Anthropic

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Public Benefit Corporation Structure and AI Safety Focus

As a public benefit corporation, Anthropic's directors must balance financial returns for shareholders with its public-interest mission

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. Founded in 2021 by seven ex-OpenAI staff members, including siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, the company was established specifically to address concerns about AI safety and commercial direction

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Source: BBC

Source: BBC

Anthropic has warned investors that AI poses "existential risk to humanity" and highlighted in securities filings the potential for advanced models to manipulate, blackmail, and exhibit unpredictable behaviors

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. The company has also pitched a draft AI safety and security bill to US lawmakers, including provisions enabling courts to block the release of models with "dangerous capabilities and insufficient safeguards" under certain extreme circumstances

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The Public Benefit Fund will add to Anthropic's existing work in AI safety and biomedical research

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. The company has already committed $200 million to study the economic effects of AI more broadly

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Industry Response and Competing Approaches

Elon Musk responded to Anthropic's announcement on X, stating: "I recommend giving the shares directly to the public"

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. The move has met with skepticism from some experts. Gary Marcus, a longtime AI expert and professor emeritus at New York University, wrote on social media that "Anthropic is playing games here" and criticized the company for "trying to curry public favor while still holding control and resisting disclosure"

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Phil Buchanan, president of The Center for Effective Philanthropy, welcomed Anthropic's commitment but cautioned that the company should avoid the "arrogance" of previous technology leaders who assumed professional expertise would translate to philanthropic wisdom

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. Lise Buyer, partner at IPO advisory firm Class V Group, noted the timing is "beneficial from an image perspective" as AI reshapes the jobs market

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Rival OpenAI has pursued similar pathways. The OpenAI Foundation promised a $1 billion commitment to build out its grantmaking capacity earlier this year

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. OpenAI also discussed proposals to put around 5% of the company in public hands over the summer as it faced greater scrutiny

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. In April, OpenAI proposed creating a "Public Wealth Fund" with a stake in "AI-driven economic growth" across companies, with returns distributed directly to people regardless of their investment in financial markets

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. Just over a quarter of OpenAI is owned by the non-profit OpenAI Foundation

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