Some Anthropic veterans are reportedly buying remote land in case "AI goes awry"
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Reports indicate that several long-serving employees at Anthropic are purchasing remote land in the United States as a contingency plan in case artificial intelligence spirals out of control. According to the Wall Street Journal, these early hires have discussed relocating to isolated areas if AI systems become dangerous. This behavior reflects a broader trend within the company's history, where staff previously considered moving to desert facilities for electromagnetically shielded work during their early days. The article highlights the strong connection between Anthropic’s initial workforce and the Effective Altruism subculture, particularly its 'doomer' network. Many of these individuals were influenced by Eliezer Yudkowsky, who warned about uncontrolled AI risks starting in the mid-2000s. Prior to focusing on AI threats, this group had spent years preparing for other catastrophic scenarios such as asteroid impacts and supervolcanoes. These actions demonstrate how deeply ingrained existential risk mitigation has become among some key figures in the AI industry.
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