Anthropic just hired a defence insider

ANTHROPIC

Anthropic just hired a defence insider

Anthropic has brought in Richard Fontaine, a well-known national security expert, to join its long-term benefit trust, a group that helps shape the company’s direction and keeps safety front and centre.

Fontaine’s background includes advising the late Senator John McCain, teaching security studies at Georgetown, and leading a major U.S. think tank.

His arrival comes just after Anthropic introduced new AI models aimed at national security work.

The trust has the authority to elect board members and already includes leaders from the fields of public health and global development.

Here’s what’s going on:

• Fontaine joins the trust to help steer AI in sensitive national security contexts.

• Anthropic is expanding its work with defence agencies through major partnerships.

• Other big AI labs are also moving into military and classified projects.

This hire has clearance

Fontaine won’t have a financial stake in the company but will play a key role in guiding decisions where AI meets security.

Anthropic is leaning further into defence work.

Last year, it teamed up with Palantir and AWS to offer its AI tools to military customers.

And it’s not the only one, OpenAI, Meta, Google, and Cohere are all taking steps to make their AI more defence-ready.

Fontaine joining the trust feels like when your dad shows up at your group project.