Reid Hoffman Defends Anthropic Amid AI Regulatory Feud with David Sacks

LinkedIn co-founder and Microsoft board member Reid Hoffman has publicly backed AI startup Anthropic following criticism from David Sacks, President Trump's newly appointed AI and crypto czar. Hoffman revealed his financial stake in Anthropic through Greylock Partners, adding to his existing investment in rival OpenAI—a rare dual position in the competitive AI landscape.

The debate centers on regulatory approaches to AI development. Sacks accused Anthropic of employing fear-based tactics, while Hoffman framed the company's methodology as "thoughtful, safe, and enormously beneficial for society." Microsoft's Azure infrastructure currently powers OpenAI's GPT models, creating potential conflicts given Hoffman's board position at Microsoft and investments in both AI firms.

Anthropic was founded in 2021 by former OpenAI researchers who departed over safety concerns. Hoffman's unusual public defense signals growing tensions between different philosophical camps in AI development, particularly around governance and deployment strategies.