A former Anthropic AI safety researcher has left the company, stating that “the world is in peril” as he announced plans to pursue a poetry degree and new creative work.
Mrinank Sharma shared a copy of his resignation letter in a February 9 post on X/Twitter, confirming his final day at the AI company and outlining the reasons behind his departure.
“The world is in peril”
In the letter, addressed to colleagues, Sharma said he had “decided to leave Anthropic” and reflected on his two years at the company after completing his PhD.
He wrote that he had arrived wanting to contribute to AI safety, developing defences to reduce potential risks posed by AI.
However, Sharma said it had become clear to him that it was time to move on. “The world is in peril. And not just from AI, or bioweapons, but from a whole series of interconnected crises unfolding in this very moment,” he wrote.
He added that he had repeatedly seen “how hard it is to truly let our values govern our actions,” both within himself and within organizations.
Sharma said he wants to “contribute in a way that feels fully in my integrity,” explaining that he intends to explore a poetry degree and devote himself to writing, facilitation, coaching, community building, and what he described as “courageous speech.”
Anthropic AI was founded in 2021 by former members of OpenAI. In December 2025, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman admitted he “cannot imagine” raising his child without the help of ChatGPT.
