Key facts
- Former Anthropic employee Ivan Vendrov described burnout and disillusionment.
- Vendrov worked at the AI lab from late 2022 to mid-2023.
- He recalled an FBI warning that Anthropic was likely targeted by foreign intelligence agencies.
- Vendrov's resignation letter praised Anthropic despite his personal struggles.
Ivan Vendrov, a former Anthropic employee, detailed his experiences at the AI lab in a Substack post, describing a highly particular workplace culture during its formative period. Vendrov worked at Anthropic from late 2022 to mid-2023, a time marked by intense pressure to develop safe AI for commercial use, which he said led to burnout and disillusionment. He recalled an FBI warning about foreign intelligence threats and a cofounder's push for simpler employee perks. Vendrov ultimately resigned, praising the company in his letter.