Meet Amanda Askell (37): The philosopher shaping Claude’s moral code
Technology
Amanda Askell leads personality alignment at Anthropic, where she's focused on making their AI, Claude, more curious, kind, and relatable—kind of like a well-liked traveler who fits in anywhere without trying too hard.
Askell's academic background and career trajectory
With degrees from Oxford and NYU, Askell joined Anthropic after OpenAI.
Her team teaches Claude by writing example messages that show the traits they want—aiming for genuine helpfulness without being overly eager or robotic.
Notable achievements and personal commitments
Askell champions "Constitutional AI," which means building models that are both useful and responsible.
Fun fact: she has pledged to give at least 10% of her lifetime income to charity.