Anthropic’s Public Benefit Mission: Less Flashy, More Stable?
While the world was watching OpenAI’s mission statement evolution, Simon Willison dug up Anthropic’s equivalent documents. And honestly? They’re boring—which might be exactly the point.
The Core Insight
Anthropic was founded as a “public benefit corporation” rather than a nonprofit, which means they don’t face the same IRS disclosure requirements as OpenAI. But the documents they have filed with the State of Delaware tell a consistent story: they’ve stayed remarkably consistent in their mission since 2021.
Why This Matters
The Documents Tell a Quiet Story
Anthropic’s 2021 certificate of incorporation stated:
“The specific public benefit that the Corporation will promote is to responsibly develop and maintain advanced AI for the cultural, social and technological improvement of humanity.”
Every subsequent document through 2024 uses an updated version:
“The specific public benefit that the Corporation will promote is to responsibly develop and maintain advanced AI for the long term benefit of humanity.”
That’s it. No dramatic revisions. No deletions. No walking back safety commitments. Just a quiet, consistent emphasis on “responsibly” and “long term benefit.”
Why This Matters for the Industry
This contrast is revealing:
| OpenAI | Anthropic |
|---|---|
| Started as nonprofit, shifted structure | Started as PBC |
| Mission evolved significantly | Mission stayed consistent |
| Safety language removed in 2024 | “Responsibly” retained throughout |
| $30B commercial funding | $30B commercial funding |
Both companies are raising billions in commercial capital. Both are pursuing aggressive commercial strategies. The difference is in how they frame it.
Anthropic’s approach suggests: “We’re a company that happens to have a public benefit mission, and we’re sticking to it.” OpenAI’s approach suggests: “We’re technically still a nonprofit, but don’t let that confuse you about our commercial ambitions.”
Key Takeaways
- Anthropic’s mission has remained consistent since 2021
- “Responsibly develop” and “long term benefit” are key phrases
- PBC structure gives them more flexibility than nonprofit
- The boring consistency might be intentional messaging
- Both Anthropic and OpenAI are now heavily commercial despite different structures
Looking Ahead
The honest answer is that we don’t know which approach is better. Anthropic’s consistency could be genuine commitment or could be better marketing. OpenAI’s evolution could be pragmatic adaptation or could be mission drift.
What we can say: the AI industry needs more transparency about how these stated missions translate into actual behavior. A mission statement is just words until we see the decisions that matter.
Based on analysis of Anthropic’s Delaware incorporation documents