On July 9, 2026, Anthropic announced that Dr. Ben Bernanke, a Distinguished Fellow at the Brookings Institution and former Chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, has joined its Long‑Term Benefit Trust (LTBT). The LTBT is an independent body tasked with ensuring Anthropic pursues its stated mission: the responsible development of advanced artificial intelligence for the long‑term benefit of humanity.
Dr. Ben Bernanke led the Federal Reserve from 2006 to 2014, guiding the central bank through the 2008 global financial crisis and the subsequent recovery. Before his government service he spent more than two decades as an academic economist, much of that time at Princeton University where he chaired the economics department. His research on the Great Depression and the role of banks in financial crises earned him the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2022.
"The potential of artificial intelligence is enormous, and so is the range of outcomes. How that potential plays out will depend, in part, on the institutions we build around it," Dr. Bernanke said upon joining. "Anthropic has created a unique governance structure to try to ensure that the long‑run benefits of AI for humanity far outweigh the risks. I am honored to have this opportunity, and I will try to contribute in any way I can to this critical mission."
Daniela Amodei, Co‑Founder and President of Anthropic, emphasized the economic stakes: "AI may have the most significant economic effects of any technology in modern history, and Anthropic has a dual responsibility to understand those effects and to act on them. Ben’s career has run from studying how economies react to disruptive moments to helping steer the world’s largest economy through one such time. His judgment will make us better at anticipating and responding to how advanced AI affects workforces and economies around the world."
Anthropic operates as a Public Benefit Corporation, meaning it was founded to balance commercial success with social and public good. The LTBT exists to help the company maintain that balance over the long term by providing oversight of how Anthropic develops and deploys AI. Trustees are selected for expertise across a wide range of fields and are independent of the company’s management and investors: they hold no equity in Anthropic, do not share in its profits, and are compensated only for their time and service. New Trustees are chosen by the existing Trustees in consultation with the company.
"The institutions built around this technology will matter as much as the technology itself," said Neil Buddy Shah, Chair of the LTBT. "Ben spent eight years leading the Federal Reserve and guided the country through the worst financial crisis in nearly a century with expertise, independence, and sound judgment. That's the standard we look for in Trustees as AI's impact grows, and we're fortunate Ben has chosen to join us in this work."
The LTBT has the authority to appoint members to Anthropic’s board. Its Trustees advise the board and Anthropic’s leadership on critical decisions, particularly those involving potential risks and societal impacts of AI. Bernanke’s appointment brings expertise to one of Anthropic’s key research areas—how AI is changing the economy—and he will contribute to the company’s economic research as well as other areas of its work.
Bernanke joins Neil Buddy Shah, Richard Fontaine, and Mariano‑Florentino Cuéllar on the LTBT. Collectively, the Trustees bring experience spanning global health, national security, law, policy, and economics.
Key details to note
- Appointment date: July 9, 2026
- Bernanke’s Federal Reserve tenure: 2006–2014
- Bernanke’s Nobel Prize: 2022 (Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences)
- LTBT independence: Trustees hold no equity in Anthropic and do not share in its profits
Bernanke’s appointment signals Anthropic’s emphasis on understanding AI’s economic impacts and strengthening independent governance around its technology.
