Anthropic said on Sunday that it plans to allocate five per cent of its shares to a new public benefit fund, with the stake potentially increasing as the company’s valuation rises.
Subject to shareholder approval, the fund would initially receive five per cent of the company’s shares. Anthropic’s board could then allocate an additional two per cent for every 50 per cent increase in the company’s value above a baseline that has yet to be disclosed.
The company said it had already committed $200m to studying the effects of artificial intelligence but noted that more ambitious measures might be necessary.
“Given the pace of AI progress, bolder approaches may be needed,” Anthropic said.
Anthropic said the fund could be used to explore major donations to traditional non-profit organisations or make direct payments to specific groups.
It could also support more ambitious initiatives to study and address the disruption and job displacement caused by artificial intelligence.
A report published by the Pew Research Centre in August found that 71 per cent of American adults believe AI will lead to a reduction in jobs in the United States over the next two years.
According to Anthropic, the fund will be established as a wholly owned limited liability company rather than a tax-exempt non-profit organisation under Section 501(c)(3) of the US tax code.
The structure is intended to provide flexibility in choosing different forms of charitable giving.
The company added that the equity held by the fund would not be used for lobbying or political donations, either in the United States or internationally.
