Reed Hastings, a co-founder of Netflix, will join the board of directors of Anthropic, a startup focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and supported by Microsoft, Amazon, and Google.
.jpeg)
The Long Term Benefit Trust of Anthropic appointed Hastings, who co-founded Netflix in 1997 and was its CEO until 2023, to the board. Five financially disinterested members make up this independent trust, according to a news release the company released.
.jpeg)
The 64-year-old Hastings has already served on several notable boards in the technology industry. He has previously served on the boards of Facebook (now Meta), Microsoft, and Bloomberg. Hastings contributes "extensive experience" and a "understanding of how to ensure technology serves broader societal goals" to the organization, according to Anthropic.
.jpeg)
"Anthropic is very optimistic about the benefits of AI 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 support their philosophy of using AI to advance humanity. Hastings recently promised to start a dedicated AI research program at his alma mater, Bowdoin College in Maine, with $50 million. In addition to researching AI's impact on education, the workplace, and interpersonal interactions, this program will create ethical standards for the technology. Anthropic stated in the press statement that Bowdoin's research agenda closely reflects the company's aims.
.jpeg "Daniela Amodei")
In a statement, Anthropic President Daniela Amodei said: "He is an ideal addition to our board as we continue to build AI that helps rather than harms because of his focus on the human impact of technology, whether at Netflix or through his global health and education initiatives." Anthropic, which was valued at $61.5 billion earlier this year, now asserts that it is attempting to stay up with competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft in the AI arms race while highlighting the significance of AI safety.