Anthropic researcher quits over AI safety fears
Jacob Coxon, a researcher who has worked at both Anthropic and OpenAI, has resigned from Anthropic, warning that leading AI companies are moving too quickly towards self-improving artificial intelligence without adequately addressing the risks. In a public statement, Coxon accused both companies of becoming caught in a race to develop increasingly powerful AI systems, describing it as “gambling with our lives.”
His warning is particularly notable because Anthropic has built its reputation around AI safety and responsible development. Coxon argued that researchers within the industry increasingly understand the potential dangers, but competitive pressure is pushing companies to continue advancing their models. He has warned that sufficiently advanced, self-improving AI could eventually become difficult for humans to control and potentially pose an existential threat.
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With this round, Skyroot's total capital raised reached $160 million, and the company nearly doubled its valuation in about 30 months. Ram Shriram, an early Google investor and Sherpalo Ventures founder, joined Skyroot's board.
Orbital breakthrough: On July 18, 2026, Skyroot's Vikram-1 rocket successfully placed a payload into a 450 km orbit — making India only the third country after the US and China to host a privately designed and funded orbital launch vehicle. Reaching orbit on the very first attempt is rare for a startup and highlights how far the company has come since its 2018 founding. Industry leaders and policymakers hailed the unicorn status as a defining moment for India's private space sector, aligning with national ambitions to capture up to 10% of the global space economy by 2033, with more than 300 startups now active in India's space domain
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