Anthropic to contribute an additional 5% stake to public-benefit fund: “Addressing AI’s impact on jobs”

[Financial News] Anthropic, which is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO), has decided to contribute 5% of its equity to a newly established public-benefit fund. Including its existing commitments, about 20% of its equity will be used for public-benefit purposes.
On the 18th (local time), Anthropic said in a post on its official blog that, subject to shareholder approval, it would contribute 5% of its equity to the “Anthropic Public Benefit Fund.”
Each time the company’s value rises by 50% above a set benchmark valuation, it will transfer an additional 2% stake at the board’s discretion. This means the share of equity devoted to public benefit will grow as the company grows.
Anthropic said the fund could be used for large-scale donations to nonprofits or direct distributions to specific groups, citing the shock AI will have on the labor market as a prime example.
Anthropic said, “AI can create enormous economic value, but it could also cause instability for many workers,” adding, “Given the pace of AI development, a bolder approach may be needed.”
Anthropic had previously pledged $200 million to research and address AI’s impact on the labor market, and this fund expands on that commitment.
The fund will be established as a limited liability company (LLC) wholly funded by Anthropic. Anthropic said the fund would not use its stake for lobbying or political contributions in the United States or abroad.
Anthropic said, “Technology companies often give executives increasing compensation, but we instead direct that equity toward public benefit.” Combining the co-founders’ pledge to donate 80% of their equity and an employee equity-donation matching program, about 20% of the company’s equity will be used for public-benefit purposes.
Anthropic is preparing for the largest IPO in history as a public benefit corporation (PBC). It plans to disclose the fund’s governance structure, the benchmark valuation for increasing its stake, and other details in the coming months.

[email protected] Lee Seok-woo, International Affairs Correspondent Reporter