Netflix Co-Founder Reed Hastings Joins Anthropic’s Board

Reed Hastings, Chairman and co-founder of Netflix Inc. (NFLX), has joined the board of directors at AI research firm Anthropic through the company’s Long-Term Benefit Trust, which seeks to bring strategic insight to the development of responsible artificial intelligence.

Hastings spent more than 20 years as co-CEO of Netflix, where he played a key role in transforming the company into a global streaming leader. His previous board memberships include Meta Platforms Inc. (META), Microsoft Corp.(MSFT), and Bloomberg.

Alongside his business achievements, Hastings has intensified his engagement with artificial intelligence issues. Earlier this year, he committed $50 million to Bowdoin College to fund a new research initiative examining how AI technologies influence jobs, education, and interpersonal dynamics. 

These areas of study resonate strongly with Anthropic’s mission to develop AI that is understandable, trustworthy, and aligned with human values.

Anthropic highlighted that Hastings’ background in global technology and his dedication to public welfare projects equip him well to provide guidance on AI governance and innovation. 

His appointment represents the Trust’s ongoing commitment to assembling a board that can oversee the conscientious progress of AI systems designed to be transparent and manageable.

"Anthropic is very optimistic about the AI benefits for humanity, but is also very aware of the economic, social, and safety challenges. I'm joining Anthropic's board because I believe in their approach to AI development, and to help humanity progress,” said Hastings.

Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees, Anthropic is backed by Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) and Alphabet Inc.(GOOG, GOOGL). 

The company secured $3.5 billion in its latest Series E financing in March, boosting the valuation to $61.5 billion. 

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