Former Fed Chair Bernanke joins Anthropic’s oversight trust

Anthropic announced on Thursday that it has appointed former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to its Long-Term Benefit Trust, an independent governance body designed to ensure the AI company remains aligned with its stated mission of developing artificial intelligence for the long-term benefit of humanity.odaily+2

A New Voice in AI Governance

Bernanke, who led the Federal Reserve from 2006 to 2014 and is currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Brookings Institution, joins a trust that has undergone several membership changes in recent months. The appointment was confirmed by Anthropic in a post on X and reported by Bloomberg.bloomberg+3

The Long-Term Benefit Trust holds a special class of stock granting it the authority to elect and remove a growing share of Anthropic's board of directors — ultimately a majority. Its trustees are financially disinterested in Anthropic and serve as a check against the company prioritizing commercial interests over public safety at critical junctures.aiinvestbrief+1

A Trust in Transition

The trust has seen substantial turnover since its founding in 2023. Of the five original trustees, four have departed. Jason Matheny stepped down in December 2023, Paul Christiano left in April 2024 to lead AI safety at the U.S. AI Safety Institute, and both Kanika Bahl and Zach Robinson departed in January 2026. Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security, joined in May 2025, and Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joined in January 2026. Neil Buddy Shah, CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, remains as the trust's chair.anthropic

Bernanke's addition brings economic policy expertise to a body that has primarily drawn from the national security and nonprofit sectors. The appointment comes as Anthropic has been publishing policy frameworks on AI governance and economic preparedness, including proposals for how governments should address catastrophic AI risks and ensure the financial benefits of AI are broadly shared.anthropic

Broader Context

The move arrives during a turbulent period for Anthropic's relationship with regulators. In June, the Trump administration requested Anthropic disable access to its most advanced models for foreign nationals, only for the Department of Commerce to reverse course and lift those restrictions in early July. Anthropic has positioned itself as a company willing to accept government oversight, going so far as to call for legal authority allowing the government to block dangerous AI deployments.chathamhouse+2

Bernanke's appointment signals that Anthropic is seeking to bolster its governance credentials with figures who bring credibility in economic stewardship — a growing concern as AI systems reshape labor markets and financial systems.