What Is Anthropic PBC? Meet the Ethical AI Company Backed by Amazon and Google”

What Is Anthropic PBC? Meet the Ethical AI Company Backed by Amazon and Google”

Why Everyone’s Talking About Anthropic and Its Claude AI Assistant

Meet Anthropic PBC, an AI startup founded in 2021 by a group of former OpenAI employees, including siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei. Their mission? Build powerful AI systems that are actually helpful and trustworthy for humans.

“We started Anthropic because we believe AI should be developed with care, safety, and the long-term future in mind,” said Dario Amodei, CEO and co-founder.

What is a Public Benefit Company?

Anthropic isn't your typical technology startup. It is a public benefit corporation (PBC). That implies they are legally required to consider the public interest rather than profits.

Instead of rushing to create the largest, flashiest AI, they're focusing on ensuring that it behaves ethically, knows what it's doing, and can justify its judgments.

“We think AI should be as understandable and controllable as possible. That’s the only way to make sure it does what people actually want,” said Daniela Amodei, President of Anthropic.

Constitutional AI – Like Giving AI a Rulebook

One of Anthropic’s big innovations is something called “Constitutional AI.” Think of it like giving the AI a list of principles—like fairness, honesty, and respect—that it uses to guide its behavior.

This way, instead of just learning from what humans tell it, the AI has a built-in set of values to follow. It makes the AI safer, more predictable, and easier to trust.

“We wanted to build AI that’s more aligned with human intentions—not just clever, but wise,” Dario said.

Say Hi to Claude.

Anthropic's core product is Claude, a helpful artificial intelligence assistant named after Claude Shannon, an information theory pioneer. There are other variants, such as Claude Opus, Claude Sonnet, and Claude Haiku, each with their unique pace and abilities.

People use Claude for writing, coding, research, customer service, and more. It’s meant to be helpful and safe—kind of like a super smart assistant who actually listens.

“Claude is designed to be helpful, harmless, and honest,” the company says.

Big Backers, Big Goals.

Despite its focus on ethics, Anthropic is emerging as a prominent player in the AI sector. Amazon and Google have invested billions of dollars in Anthropic, demonstrating their confidence in the company's methodology.

January 2025 saw Anthropic drawn as one of the first companies to be awarded a certification specific to responsible AI activity (ISO/IEC 42001:2023).

Not Without Challenges.

Of course, being ethical in technology is not so easy. A lawsuit was filed against Anthropic in June 2025 by Reddit, claiming that the company used Reddit content for the purpose of training its AI without authorization.

The company denied all of the allegations and stated that it would fight the case. Nonetheless, the case raises interesting questions regarding where AI companies obtain the feedstock for their training datasets-and what constitutes fair use.

"We are committed to transparency and doing the right thing; we will respond appropriately," said the company’s spokesperson.

AI for the Government Too

Recently, Anthropic also launched Claude Gov, a special version of its AI designed for the U.S. government and defense agencies. It’s tailored for sensitive work, like analyzing threats or managing classified data.

Some people worry this could clash with their ethics-first image. But the company says it’s just another way to make AI useful—safely and responsibly.

A Magnet for Talent.

Anthropic's emphasis on safety and morality has attracted some of the best minds in AI. Indeed, OpenAI and Google DeepMind employees are more likely to join Anthropic than go the other way.

“We’re building a place where people who care about doing AI right can make a real impact,” said Daniela.

The Future of Ethical AI

Anthropic is demonstrating that AI really doesn't need to go wild, risky, or dangerous. It has a clear mission, strong values, and a practical plan to show the world how AI can be built not just to impress but also in a way that protects and empowers people.

In a world racing ahead with AI, Anthropic is slowing down—just enough to ask the right questions.

“It’s not just about what AI can do, but what it should do,” said Dario