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Anthropic Hires OpenAI Co-founder Durk Kingma to Lead AI Initiatives

Anthropic Hires OpenAI Co-founder Durk Kingma to Lead AI Initiatives

Alicia Shapiro
October 02, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

A professional scene symbolizing collaboration between two AI companies. A key figure stands in the foreground, visually bridging the gap between two contrasting AI visions: one focused on safety and responsibility, the other on commercial applications. Abstract digital elements, such as neural networks and flowing data streams, represent AI innovation. The background shows two stylized logos, representing the different approaches of the companies. The color scheme is sleek and modern, with metallic and digital tones, emphasizing technology, progress, and the responsible development of AI.

Image Source: ChatGPT-4o

Anthropic Hires OpenAI Co-founder Durk Kingma to Lead AI Initiatives

Anthropic has added another prominent figure from the AI field to its ranks. Durk Kingma, a co-founder of OpenAI, recently shared that he will be joining Anthropic. In his announcement on X, Kingma revealed that while he will primarily work from his home base in the Netherlands, he did not specify the exact team or project he would be leading within Anthropic.

Kingma’s Enthusiasm for the Move

In his statement, Kingma expressed excitement about aligning with Anthropic’s mission. "Anthropic’s approach to AI development resonates significantly with my own beliefs," Kingma noted, adding that he looks forward to collaborating with the talented Anthropic team, including several former colleagues from OpenAI and Google. An Anthropic spokesperson confirmed his hiring, pointing to Kingma's public posts for additional details.

A screenshot of a social media post from Durk Kingma on X, dated October 1, 2024, where he announces joining Anthropic. The post reads: 'Personal news: I'm joining @AnthropicAI! Anthropic's approach to AI development resonates significantly with my own beliefs; looking forward to contributing to Anthropic's mission of developing powerful AI systems responsibly. Can't wait to work with their talented team, including a number of great ex-colleagues from OpenAI and Google, and tackle the challenges ahead!' The post has received 259.5K views, 99 replies, 112 retweets, 2.4K likes, and 223 bookmarks

Image Source: Durk Kingma’s X Post

Kingma’s Path in AI

With a Ph.D. in machine learning from the University of Amsterdam, Kingma brings years of experience in the AI research space. After his fellowship at Google, he joined OpenAI as a research scientist, where he was instrumental in the development of generative AI models, contributing to innovations such as DALL-E 3 and ChatGPT.

In 2018, Kingma shifted gears, becoming an angel investor and advisor to various AI startups. He later rejoined Google, working at Google Brain before it merged with DeepMind in 2023.

Anthropic’s Strategy for Talent Acquisition

Kingma is the latest in a series of high-profile hires for Anthropic. Earlier this year, the company brought on Jan Leike, former OpenAI safety lead, and John Schulman, another OpenAI co-founder. Anthropic also welcomed Mike Krieger, co-founder of Instagram, as its first head of product, signaling its commitment to building a strong leadership team.

Anthropic’s Safety-Centric Approach

Anthropic has consistently aimed to distinguish itself with a stronger emphasis on AI safety compared to OpenAI. Under the leadership of Dario Amodei, who previously served as VP of research at OpenAI, Anthropic has established itself as a company dedicated to responsible AI development. Amodei, who founded Anthropic after a split with OpenAI over its commercial focus, has made safety a core part of the company’s mission. Many former OpenAI employees, including policy lead Jack Clark, have joined him to help shape Anthropic's vision.