Anthropic Launches Initiative to Address Public Concerns About AI

Artificial intelligence raises significant questions for society, and Anthropic, an AI safety-focused company, is taking steps to understand and address public concerns about the technology.

The company has identified major questions people are asking about AI, including its impact on employment, its effect on creative work, potential risks if misused, and its capacity to advance scientific and medical breakthroughs. While many people recognize AI's potential to improve productivity and solve major problems, others worry about its implications for human agency, employment, and societal safety.

As a Public Benefit Corporation, Anthropic operates with a mission to secure AI's benefits while reducing risks. The company has already undertaken several research efforts to understand public sentiment:

• Conducted the Anthropic Public Record, surveying 52,000 Americans about their hopes and concerns regarding AI
• Surveyed 81,000 Claude users across 159 countries and 70 languages
• Organized dozens of in-person focus groups with relevant communities
• Analyzed anonymized real-world usage data

Anthropic has also established the Anthropic Institute, a research division focused on addressing significant societal challenges posed by AI development. The company's Long-Term Benefit Trust provides independent oversight of the organization's progress toward its public benefit goals.

Through a new initiative, Anthropic is actively inviting the public to submit their hardest questions about AI's societal effects. The company commits to publicly tracking and reporting the specific actions it takes in response, including areas where it may fall short of its goals. Interested individuals can visit Anthropic's hard questions website to view and submit questions.