Anthropic safety engineer quits, cites concerns over AI's direction
What's the story
Mrinank Sharma, an artificial intelligence (AI) safety researcher at Anthropic, has resigned from his position. The resignation is effective from February 9, 2026. In a cryptic post on social media, Sharma hinted that there is more to the AI work at Anthropic than meets the eye and expressed his desire to pursue a degree in poetry instead of continuing with this line of work.
Academic credentials
Sharma's academic background and career at Anthropic
Sharma holds a DPhil in Machine Learning from the University of Oxford and a Master of Engineering in Machine Learning from the University of Cambridge. He joined Anthropic, one of the hottest companies in the world, as an AI safety researcher. However, he has now decided to leave his position there, citing concerns about the world being in peril due to interconnected crises and issues with the disconnect between Anthropic's public stance on AI safety and its workplace practices.
Resignation details
Global crises and AI risks
In his resignation note, Sharma hinted at two major concerns. First, he believes that the world is in turmoil due to a series of interconnected crises, including those caused by AI. He said, "The world is in peril. And not just from AI or bioweapons but from a whole series of interconnected crises unfolding in this very moment."
Workplace concerns
Disconnect between AI ethics and workplace practices
Sharma also raised concerns over the disconnect between what Anthropic publicly says about AI safety and its workplace practices. He wrote, "Throughout my time here, I've repeatedly seen how hard it is to truly let our values govern our actions." Sharma has expressed his desire to pursue a degree in poetry and devote himself to "the practice of courageous speech." He closed his letter with lines from William Stafford's poem, "The Way It Is."