Anthropic, a leading AI safety and research company, has taken a significant step toward addressing the economic implications of artificial intelligence with the launch of its Economic Futures Program on June 27, 2025.
The program builds upon Anthropic's existing Economic Index and aims to develop research and policy responses to AI's impact on the global economy and labor markets. It comes at a critical time when AI systems are increasingly reshaping how work is performed across industries.
"Our goal for this program is to contribute to the development of new research and potential responses to the impacts of AI on the labor market and global economy," Anthropic stated in its announcement. The initiative will focus on three key pillars: research grants, evidence-based policy development, and data infrastructure.
Anthropic is offering rapid grants between $10,000 and $50,000 for empirical research on AI's economic impacts, with applications accepted on a rolling basis and initial awards to be issued by mid-August. Recipients will also receive $5,000 in Claude API credits and must present their findings within six months.
The company will host symposia in Washington, D.C. and Europe this fall, bringing together policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders to evaluate policy proposals addressing AI's economic effects. Anthropic is seeking evidence-based recommendations on productivity adaptation, labor transitions, fiscal policy, and social insurance that could be implemented within 18 months.
This initiative reflects growing concerns about AI's potential to disrupt employment. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently warned that AI could eliminate up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs and potentially spike unemployment to 10-20% within the next one to five years. "We, as the producers of this technology, have a duty and an obligation to be honest about what is coming," Amodei stated in a recent interview.
Sarah Heck, Anthropic's head of policy programs and partnerships, emphasized the importance of evidence-based approaches: "It's really important to root these conversations in evidence and not have predetermined outcomes or views on what's going to happen."
By launching this program, Anthropic joins a growing movement among tech companies taking responsibility for the societal implications of their technologies, positioning itself at the forefront of efforts to understand and prepare for AI's economic transformation.