Netflix Co-Founder Reed Hastings Joins AI Startup Anthropic's Board of Directors

Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings joins Anthropic's board | TechCrunch

Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings is joining Anthropic's board of directors, the company announced on Wednesday. Hastings' appointment adds a veteran big tech executive to one of OpenAI's largest -- and youngest -- competitors in the AI race. The Netflix co-founder seems likely to help Anthropic grow from a startup into a major company, pulling from his experience sitting on the boards of Netflix, Microsoft, Bloomberg, and Meta. However, Anthropic notes that Hastings was appointed by its Long-Term Benefit Trust, an independent body at the top of the startup's corporate governance structure that's designed to be "financially disinterested." The Long-Term Benefit Trust can appoint and remove board members, with the ultimate goal of helping Anthropic develop AI for the long-term benefit of humanity. Hastings joins Anthropic's existing board members: co-founders Dario and Daniela Amodei; investor Yasmin Razavi; and the CEO of Confluent, Jay Kreps.

Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings joins Anthropic's board of directors

Jay Peters is a news editor covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme. Anthropic is adding a new person to its board: Reed Hastings, Netflix's chairman, co-founder, and former CEO. "Hastings brings extensive experience from founding and scaling Netflix into a global entertainment powerhouse, along with his service on the boards of Facebook, Microsoft, and Bloomberg," Anthropic says in its announcement post. The company adds that "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 is very optimistic about the AI benefits for humanity, but is also very aware of the economic, social, and safety challenges," Hastings says in a statement. "I'm joining Anthropic's board because I believe in their approach to AI development, and to help humanity progress." Anthropic's board also includes CEO Dario Amodei, President Daniela Amodei, Yasmin Razavi, and Jay Kreps. The company recently released its Claude 4 AI models.

Netflix co-founder and former CEO Reed Hastings joins Anthropic board

May 28 (Reuters) - Anthropic has appointed Netflix (NFLX.O), opens new tab co-founder Reed Hastings to the board of directors, the artificial intelligence startup said on Wednesday. Hastings, 64, is also a board member at Bloomberg. He has previously held director positions at Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab and Facebook, and served as the CEO of Netflix for 25 years. "Anthropic is very optimistic about the AI benefits for humanity, but is also very aware of the economic, social, and safety challenges. I'm joining Anthropic's board because I believe in their approach to AI development, and to help humanity progress," Hastings said. At Anthropic, Hastings will help the company navigate its rapid growth while maintaining its commitment to safety and minimizing AI's potential negative impacts on society. Hastings co-founded Netflix in 1997 and transformed from a fledgling DVD mail-order service into a global streaming platform. He recently contributed $50 million to Bowdoin College to establish an AI and Humanity research initiative, focusing on AI's impact on work, relationships and education. In addition to Hastings, the board includes Daniela Amodei, her brother and Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei, investor Yasmin Razavi, and Confluent CEO Jay Kreps. Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Boards, Policy & RegulationBoards

Anthropic appoints Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings to AI startup's board of directors

Reed Hastings speaks at the 2021 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. October 18, 2021. Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic said Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings is joining its board of directors. Hastings, who co-founded Netflix in 1997 and served as CEO (and eventually co-CEO) of the streaming giant until 2023, was appointed to the board by Anthropic's Long Term Benefit Trust, an independent body of five financially disinterested members, according to a press release on Wednesday. Hastings, 64, has held other high-profile board positions in the tech sector, including at Microsoft, Bloomberg and Facebook, which is now Meta. Anthropic said Hastings brings "extensive experience" and an "understanding of how to ensure technology serves broader societal goals" to the company. "Anthropic is very optimistic about the AI benefits for humanity, but is also very aware of the economic, social, and safety challenges," Hastings said in a statement. "I'm joining Anthropic's board because I believe in their approach to AI development, and to help humanity progress." Hastings recently donated $50 million to Bowdoin College in Maine to help establish an AI research initiative. The program will explore ethical frameworks for the technology as well as how it will influence education, work and relationships. Anthropic said the program closely mirrors its own research priorities, according to the release. "His focus on the human impact of technology -- whether at Netflix or through his global health and education initiatives -- makes him an ideal addition to our board as we continue building AI that helps rather than harms," Anthropic President Daniela Amodei said in a statement. Anthropic, which was valued earlier this year at $61.5 billion, is trying to keep pace in an AI arms race with competitors like OpenAI, Google and Microsoft, while also professing the importance of AI safety.

Netflix chairman Reed Hastings joins board of AI giant Anthropic

Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings is joining the board of San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company Anthropic. Anthropic, valued at $61.5 billion after its most recent funding round in March, is known for its AI chatbot model Claude. "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." Netflix is one of the world's most prolific producers of movies and TV shows, known for its content recommendation algorithm. Hollywood is grappling with the implications of generative artificial intelligence, which studios believe could save money and time, but also comes with downsides. Labor groups fear job displacement, and there are also concerns about the use of copyrighted material when training AI models. Hastings was selected by Anthropic's Long Term Benefit Trust, which the company describes as "five financially disinterested members" that can select and remove a portion of the board. The group selected Hastings because of his leadership experience, philanthropic work and "commitment to addressing AI's societal challenges makes him uniquely qualified to guide Anthropic at this critical juncture in AI development," said Buddy Shah, chair of Anthropic's Long Term Benefit Trust, in a statement. Hastings will join the company's five-member board, which includes Anthropic Chief Executive Dario Amodei, President Daniela Amodei, investor Yasmin Razavi and Jay Kreps, CEO of Mountain View-based data streaming firm Confluent. Hastings served as CEO or co-CEO of Netflix for 25 years until 2023. He currently serves on the boards of other organizations, including Bloomberg, the financial data and media company. He has donated money to charter school networks serving low-income U.S. communities and recently gave $50 million to Bowdoin College to establish the Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity that aims to help the school provide ethical frameworks for AI and examine AI's impact on work and education. 2025 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Reed Hastings Joins Anthropic's Board of Directors | AIM

Hastings recently donated $50 million to Bowdoin College to start a research programme on AI and its impact on work, education, and society. Reed Hastings, co-founder and former CEO of Netflix, has been appointed to the board of directors at Anthropic by the company's Long-Term Benefit Trust. Hastings led Netflix for over 25 years and has also served on the boards of Facebook, Microsoft, and Bloomberg. "I'm joining Anthropic's board because I believe in their approach to AI development and to help humanity progress," said Hastings in the company's statement. Neil Buddy Shah, chair of the Long-Term Benefit Trust, said Hastings was chosen for his leadership, philanthropy, and commitment to tackling the social challenges of AI. Hastings recently donated $50 million to Bowdoin College to start a research programme on AI and its impact on work, education, and society. He has also given large sums to education and development projects, including support for low-income schools in the US, farming projects in East Africa, and affordable internet in Rwanda. Anthropic president Daniela Amodei said Reed understands that technology companies have a responsibility beyond making products. She highlighted his focus on how technology affects people through his work at Netflix and in global health and education, making him a great addition to their board as they build AI that helps rather than harms. Recently, the company unveiled its new AI models, Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4. The launch came at a time when Anthropic needed a strong response to maintain its position against rivals like Google Gemini. Claude Opus 4 claims the title of "world's best coding model", while Claude Sonnet 4 offers significant improvements over its predecessor. Both models introduce extended thinking capabilities and enhanced tool usage.

Netflix co-founder and chair appointed to Anthropic's board of directors

Reed Hastings has been appointed by the Long Term Benefit Trust, to guide Anthropic's AI development. US artificial intelligence start-up Anthropic has announced that Reed Hastings, the chair and co-founder of streaming platform Netflix, has been appointed to its board of directors, by the Long Term Benefit Trust. Hastings, who served as Netflix's CEO for 25 years, was selected by the AI group due to his experience establishing and scaling the entertainment platform, as well as his time spent on various boards at organisations such as Microsoft, Facebook (now Meta) and Bloomberg. "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, the chair of the Long Term Benefit Trust. Having recently made a donation of €50m to Bowdoin College, so the institution can develop a research initiative focused on AI and humanity, Anthropic stated that Hasting's interests, particularly in how AI will transform work, relationships, education and ethical frameworks aligns closely with their own research priorities. Commenting on the future of Anthropic's AI ventures, Hastings said, "Anthropic is very optimistic about the AI benefits for humanity, but is also very aware of the economic, social and safety challenges. I'm joining Anthropic's board because I believe in their approach to AI development and to help humanity progress." According to Daniela Amodei, the president of Anthropic, "Reed understands that technology companies have a responsibility beyond just building products. His focus on the human impact of technology, whether at Netflix or through his global health and education initiatives, makes him an ideal addition to our board as we continue building AI that helps rather than harms." It has been a formative few weeks for Anthropic, as the company recently released Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4, models the organisation claims set new standards for coding, advanced reasoning and AI. Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

Former Netflix CEO Reed Hastings appointed to Anthropic's board of directors

Hastings recently gave $50 million to Bowdoin College to create a research initiative on AI and humanity. The programme explores how AI will change work, relationships, and education while developing ethical guidelines for its use. This objective aligns with Anthropic's focus.Reed Hastings, the former CEO and current chairman of streaming giant Netflix, has been appointed to the board of directors of AI startup Anthropic, the company said in a blog post on Wednesday. Hastings has been part of the boards of Facebook (now Meta), Microsoft, and Bloomberg. He had served as CEO of Netflix since its inception and stepped down in 2023. Anthropic's large language model (LLM) Claude competes with OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini. The company last received $4 billion in funding from Amazon. Hastings recently gave $50 million to Bowdoin College to create a research initiative on AI and humanity. The programme explores how AI will change work, relationships, and education while developing ethical guidelines for its use. This objective aligns with Anthropic's focus. Hastings was appointed to the board by Anthropic's Long Term Benefit Trust. "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. "Anthropic is very optimistic about the AI benefits for humanity, but is also very aware of the economic, social, and safety challenges," Hastings said in a statement. "I'm joining Anthropic's board because I believe in their approach to AI development, and to help humanity progress," he added. Meanwhile, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned that AI could eliminate nearly half of entry-level white-collar jobs within five years. He urged consumers and US lawmakers to prepare for significant job cuts, according to Axios. Amodei also criticised the government and other AI companies for downplaying the risk of widespread job losses across sectors such as technology, finance, law, and consulting.

Netflix Founder Reed Hastings Joins Board of AI Giant Anthropic

Netflix's founder and former CEO Reed Hastings is joining the board of directors of the artificial intelligence firm Anthropic, the creator of the popular Claude large language models. Hastings was appointed by the Long Term Benefit Trust, which has the right to appoint some of Anthropic's board. "The Long Term Benefit Trust appointed Reed because his impressive leadership experience, deep philanthropic work, and commitment to addressing AI's societal challenges makes him uniquely qualified to guide Anthropic at this critical juncture in AI development" said Buddy Shah, chair of Anthropic's Long Term Benefit Trust, in a statement. Hastings, of course, is a giant of the entertainment business, having founded and led Netflix from its days as a DVD by mail company to a Hollywood powerhouse that is the dominant player in streaming entertainment. He stepped aside as co-CEO in 2023, and as chairman of the company earlier this year. He has also been laser-focused on the potential and risks of AI, donating $50 million to Bowdoin College earlier this year to establish the Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity, and will "ensure that students graduate well-prepared to lead in a world reshaped by AI." "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." "Reed understands that technology companies have a responsibility beyond just building products," added Daniela Amodei, president of Anthropic. "His focus on the human impact of technology -- whether at Netflix or through his global health and education initiatives -- makes him an ideal addition to our board as we continue building AI that helps rather than harms." Anthropic is one of the largest companies in the AI space, with its Claude model widely used across the industry. It raised more than $6 billion from Amazon last year.

Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings joins Anthropic's board of directors By Investing.com

Investing.com -- Reed Hastings, the co-founder and former CEO of Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX), has been appointed to the board of directors at Anthropic by the Long Term Benefit Trust. Hastings, who led Netflix for over 25 years and helped transform it into a global entertainment leader, also has board experience with Facebook (NASDAQ:META), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Bloomberg. The Trust chose Hastings for his leadership skills, his philanthropic efforts, and his dedication to addressing societal challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI). This appointment comes at a critical point in AI development, according to Buddy Shah, Chair of Anthropic's Long Term Benefit Trust. Hastings has shown a keen interest in AI and its societal impact. He recently donated $50 million to Bowdoin College to establish a research initiative on AI and Humanity. This initiative will study how AI could change work, relationships, and education, and will also develop ethical guidelines for using AI. These areas of research align closely with Anthropic's own interests. In addition to his focus on AI, Hastings has spent decades working to improve education and global development opportunities. He has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to charter schools in low-income U.S. communities and is a board member of the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP)'s network of 275 schools. Internationally, he supports Kenyan farmers through the One Acre Fund and subsidizes internet access in Rwanda, where he helped start a program that offers smartphones at a fraction of the U.S. cost. Hastings expressed his optimism about the potential benefits of AI for humanity, but also acknowledged the economic, social, and safety challenges it presents. He stated his commitment to Anthropic's approach to AI development and his desire to help humanity progress. Hastings' experience with Netflix and his investments in education reform and digital infrastructure in emerging markets give him a practical understanding of how to ensure technology benefits society from the beginning. Daniela Amodei, President of Anthropic, praised Hastings for his focus on the human impact of technology, stating that his perspective makes him an ideal addition to the board. With Hastings' appointment, the Trust continues to assemble a board with diverse expertise to guide Anthropic in its mission to develop reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems.