Skype co-founder warns of AI apocalypse while betting billions on safety-focused startup

At a recent UN General Assembly session in New York, Jaan Tallinn, the 54-year-old Skype co-founder, warned that AI development might threaten humanity’s survival. He has been financing AI companies that prioritize safety, most notably Anthropic, where he was among the first investors. Tallinn anticipates substantial profits from Anthropic’s pending initial public offering, which he intends to use to fund AI-safety nonprofits.

His concerns include a global AI arms race, competition between the United States and China, and the possibility of self-improving systems outpacing human control. Friends say his investment aims to keep safety-focused capital in the sector rather than ceding influence to less cautious backers. Rauno Miljand of Metaplanet, Tallinn’s investment firm, framed the choice as either sheltering from risk or actively shaping AI’s trajectory.