Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon revealed to the media that he resigned just two months before his equity was scheduled to vest, driven by concerns over artificial intelligence safety. This disclosure amplifies the widespread attention his departure from the AI lab has generated online, with his core argument being that AI technology could potentially lead to human extinction.

Coxon stated in an interview on Wednesday: "Increasing Anthropic's valuation no longer benefits me in any way... I left the company before my equity vested." His resignation post on platform X has now garnered over 115 million views, reading: "People working in AI research genuinely believe this technology could take everyone's life by the end of this decade. This is not a marketing gimmick."

Other AI researchers, particularly those at Google, have previously resigned over safety concerns, but those individuals departed after years of service, with their equity likely already fully vested. Coxon noted he had been at Anthropic for only four months, while the company requires employees to stay for six months before equity vests. He still holds equity in his former employer, OpenAI.