Anthropic appoints Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings to AI startup's board of directors

Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic said Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings is joining its board of directors.

Hastings, who co-founded Netflix in 1997 and served as CEO (and eventually co-CEO) of the streaming giant until 2023, was appointed to the board by Anthropic's Long Term Benefit Trust, an independent body of five financially disinterested members, according to a press release on Wednesday.

Hastings, 64, has held other high-profile board positions in the tech sector, including at Microsoft, Bloomberg and Facebook, which is now Meta.

Anthropic said Hastings brings "extensive experience" and an "understanding of how to ensure technology serves broader societal goals" to the company.

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

Hastings recently donated $50 million to Bowdoin College in Maine to help establish an AI research initiative. The program will explore ethical frameworks for the technology as well as how it will influence education, work and relationships.

Anthropic said the program closely mirrors its own research priorities, according to the release.

"His focus on the human impact of technology — whether at Netflix or through his global health and education initiatives — makes him an ideal addition to our board as we continue building AI that helps rather than harms," Anthropic President Daniela Amodei said in a statement.

Anthropic, which was valued earlier this year at $61.5 billion, is trying to keep pace in an AI arms race with competitors like OpenAI, Google and Microsoft, while also professing the importance of AI safety.

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