Anthropic establishes a public benefit fund with 5% of shares

Anthropic has established the Anthropic Public Benefit Fund, transferring 5% of its shares to it. This decision aims to support public interests and requires shareholder approval.

The fund's replenishment mechanism allows for an increase in share allocation up to 2% if the company's valuation rises by every 50% above the base valuation. The board of directors can initiate such contributions, although the exact base valuation is not disclosed.

Including previous commitments, the total share allocated to public benefit will reach approximately 20%. Founders initially pledged to transfer 80% of their stakes, and the employee donation matching program covers half of the staff.

The fund is structured as a wholly-owned subsidiary LLC of Anthropic, providing the company with greater flexibility in managing funds compared to standard charitable organizations.

Fund usage directions include:

• Large donations to traditional non-profit organizations
• Direct payments to specific population groups
• Funding research on AI and labor market issues ($200 million allocated)

Using fund assets for lobbying or political purposes is strictly prohibited. Detailed rules for fund distribution will be published in the coming months.

The fund announcement comes amid growing skepticism towards artificial intelligence. CEO Dario Amodei characterizes the current situation as a crisis of trust; however, the fund's ownership structure may limit its influence on restoring public opinion.