Former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke Joins Anthropic’s Governance Body to Advise on AI Risks and IPO Strategy

Artificial intelligence (AI) startup Anthropic announced on Thursday (9th) that it has appointed Ben Bernanke, former Chair of the Federal Reserve (Federal Reserve) and 2022 Nobel Prize winner in Economics, to its 'Long-Term Benefit Trust' to help evaluate the long-term impacts of AI on the global economy, labor markets, and society. This appointment further strengthens the company’s governance structure and enhances credibility for its future IPO (initial public offering) plans.

Anthropic stated that the Long-Term Benefit Trust is an independent governance mechanism responsible for advising the company and possessing the authority to appoint the majority of the board of directors and remove those it has appointed. This ensures that while pursuing commercial growth, the company continues to prioritize public interest and the safe development of AI.

Unlike typical board members or advisors, trust members hold no equity in Anthropic and receive compensation solely based on time spent fulfilling their duties. New members are jointly selected by existing trustees and the company, ensuring their role remains independent from commercial interests.

In a statement, Bernanke said: 'The potential of artificial intelligence is immense, and its possible impacts are equally profound. Ultimately, the direction it takes will depend, to some extent, on the institutions and governance structures we establish today.'

Daniela Amodei, co-founder and president of Anthropic, stated that Bernanke’s deep expertise in monetary policy, financial crisis management, and macroeconomics will help the company better understand the impacts of advanced AI on the global economy and labor markets, enhancing its ability to anticipate and respond to related challenges.

Bernanke served as Chair of the Federal Reserve from 2006 to 2014, succeeding the late Chair Alan Greenspan. During his tenure, he navigated the 2008 global financial crisis, leading the Fed’s implementation of near-zero interest rates and quantitative easing (QE) policies. After leaving office, he held positions at the Brookings Institution, Citadel, and Pimco, and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2022 for his research on the Great Depression.

Founded in 2021 by a group of researchers who left OpenAI, Anthropic now has a valuation of $96.5 billion, with market expectations suggesting it could launch an IPO as early as this year.

In recent years, Anthropic’s Claude series of models has continuously improved in specialized applications such as programming and agentic AI, becoming a key driver behind the company’s rising valuation. However, as AI capabilities rapidly advance, corporate governance and risk management have increasingly drawn market attention.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned that advanced AI could replace up to half of white-collar jobs within the next few years, making AI’s impact on employment and economic structures a highly watched issue among global policymakers.

On the other hand, Anthropic has recently faced external regulatory and political pressures. Last month, amid a dispute with the Trump administration over product cybersecurity issues, the company temporarily took down its Mythos and Fable models and became embroiled in a legal dispute with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) over AI model usage rights.

Market analysts believe that, as Anthropic accelerates AI commercialization, prepares for an IPO, and navigates regulatory challenges, appointing Bernanke—renowned for his expertise in financial crisis response and macroeconomics—to its governance body not only helps assess AI’s long-term economic impacts but also sends a strong signal to investors about the company’s commitment to strengthening governance and fulfilling its public mission.

Currently, the Anthropic Long-Term Benefit Trust has four members, including Bernanke, Neil Buddy Shah (CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative), national security expert Richard Fontaine, and international affairs expert Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar. Anthropic stated it will continue to add trustees in the future.