Departure comes as Anthropic pursues $2 trillion IPO
Jacob Coxon announced his resignation from Anthropic on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported, warning that competition is driving an industrywide rush to build AI models that could spiral out of control and destroy humanity. The Journal first reported the departure in its 10-Point newsletter.
Coxon’s stated concerns centered on self-improving AI, which the Journal framed in its newsletter headline as the central issue behind his departure. The newsletter opened with the question of whether the tech industry is racing toward “out-of-control” AI, citing Coxon’s belief that it is.
The resignation adds to a series of departures by AI researchers who have raised concerns about the direction of frontier AI development. According to the Journal, several researchers have left OpenAI and other AI companies with similar concerns about the industry’s trajectory.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and other company leaders have repeatedly warned about the risks of rogue AI models and urged the industry to slow development, the Journal reported.
The departure lands at what the Journal described as a critical moment for Anthropic. The company is preparing for an initial public offering expected to be among the largest ever. Anthropic is seeking a $2 trillion valuation while emphasizing its commitment to responsible AI development to prospective investors.