AI holds key to curing social ills, inequality

Artificial intelligence has the potential to eliminate diseases, lift billions out of poverty, combat depression, and tackle social issues. This transformative power, according to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, could bring about a "renaissance of liberal democracy and human rights"—if all goes well.

Amodei’s vision, outlined in a recent "manifesto" as the AI company seeks new funding, positions AI as a game-changer capable of accelerating a century's worth of innovation into just five or ten years. He believes AI can lead to a significantly better world than the one we know today, but only with immense effort from "many brave and dedicated people."

“I don’t know if this vision is realistic, and even if it is, it will not be achieved without huge struggles and contributions from everyone involved—including AI companies,” Amodei noted. His message calls for shared responsibility across the industry to both mitigate risks and harness the benefits.

Amodei, a former executive at OpenAI, founded Anthropic with his sister, Daniela. Though he is acutely aware of AI’s risks, he doesn’t identify with the "doomers," or pessimists, in the field. "I think most people underestimate both the radical potential and the severe risks AI presents," he said.

Anthropic, which employs around 500 people, has already drawn significant investment from Amazon and Google. The company anticipates its next funding round could value it between $30 billion and $40 billion, according to The Information.