Anthropic, the developer of the generative artificial intelligence model Claude, will contribute 5% of the company's equity to a newly created public benefit fund. Including earlier commitments, about 20% of its equity will be directed toward public purposes.
The company said on its official blog on the 18th that shareholders had approved the transfer of the 5% stake to the Anthropic Public Benefit Fund.
An additional 2% stake will be transferred at the board's discretion each time the company's valuation rises 50% above a set reference value. Under the structure, the stake devoted to public purposes grows as the company expands.
Anthropic said the fund could be used for large-scale donations to nonprofit organizations or for direct distributions to specific groups. A company official said AI can generate enormous economic value but could also create instability for many workers, adding that a bolder approach may be needed given the pace of AI development.
Anthropic had earlier committed $200 million to efforts including research on the impact of AI on the labor market.
The fund will be managed by a limited liability company established and wholly funded by Anthropic. The company said the fund would not be used for lobbying or political donations inside or outside the United States.
A company official said technology firms often grant executives escalating compensation, but that Anthropic will instead direct that equity toward the public good.
Anthropic, structured as a public benefit corporation, is preparing what would be the largest initial public offering on record. Details including the fund's governance and the reference valuation for expanding the stake will be disclosed in the coming months.