Anthropic is courting investors who share its big AI vision

A line from early Anthropic investor Jaan Tallinn is getting attention in the AI world: "The future of the world will be decided by a group of people who fit in an elevator." The Information used it to frame a story about how Anthropic is courting investors who share its big vision for AI.

What was said

Tallinn, described as an enigmatic billionaire, shared the idea on a podcast earlier this year. He said a friend had used the elevator picture to describe how few people hold real sway over where the world is headed. The material does not say which friend, or exactly who the friend counts among those in the elevator.

Why it matters

Anthropic is an AI company, and it has backers who put money in early. Those backers, along with a small number of other AI companies and their investors, may shape the tools people use at work and at home. That includes the chat assistants and software features that are showing up in everyday apps.

The elevator image is a way of saying power is concentrated. Fewer decision makers means fewer voices behind choices about how AI is built, sold and used.

What is not known

• The full text of the story was not available, so details of Anthropic's pitch are unclear.
• No fundraising amounts or investor names beyond Tallinn are given.
• It is not stated who else Tallinn would put in the elevator.

For now, the useful takeaway is simple. The people funding and running a few AI firms matter, and it is worth knowing who they are.