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Mrinank Sharma, who led the Safeguards Research Team at artificial intelligence company Anthropic, has resigned from his role. He made his departure public by announcing his resignation in a post on X on Monday, February 9. In his resignation letter, Sharma referenced poets such as Rilke and William Stafford.
Sharma wrote, “Today is my last day atAnthropic. I resigned. Here is the letter I shared with my colleagues, explaining my decision.”
Sharma said it had become clear to him that it was time to step away, warning that risks facing humanity extended beyond Artificial Intelligence. He wrote that “the world is in peril,” not only from AI or bioweapons, but from a “whole series of interconnected crises unfolding in this very moment.”
“We appear to be approaching a threshold where our wisdom must grow in equal measure to our capacity to affect the world, lest we face the consequences,” he wrote.
Sharma did not go into specific details, but added, “Throughout my time here, I’ve repeatedly seen how hard it is to truly let our values govern our actions. I’ve seen this within myself, within the organisation, where we constantly face pressures to set aside what matters most, and throughout broader society too.”
On his immediate plans, Sharma said he intends to move back to the United Kingdom and “become invisible for a period of time.”
In his resignation letter, he said he now wants to focus on questions that feel fundamentally important to him. Citing David Whyte, he described them as questions that “have no right to go away,” while also echoing Rilke’s call to “live.” He said that, for him, “this means leaving.”
Sharma also said he is interested to pursue “poetry degree and devote myself to the practice of courageous speech.”
He added, “I am also excited to deepen my practice of facilitation, coaching, community building, and group work. We shall see what unfolds.”
More about Mrinank Sharma
Mrinank Sharma is an AI researcher of Indian origin. He holds a DPhil in Machine Learning from the University of Oxford and a Master of Engineering in Machine Learning from the University of Cambridge.
Sharma had joinedAnthropic in 2023. There he led the Safeguards Research Team, which was formed in February 2025. The team worked on lowering risks linked to advanced AI systems, including behavioural issues and alignment challenges, as the company continued to position itself around AI safety.
Anthropic, headed by chief executive Dario Amodei, is known for developing the Claude family of AI models.
Sharma wrote, “Today is my last day atAnthropic. I resigned. Here is the letter I shared with my colleagues, explaining my decision.”
Today
is my last day at Anthropic. I resigned.
Here is the letter I shared with my colleagues, explaining my decision. pic.twitter.com/Qe4QyAFmxL
— mrinank (@MrinankSharma) February 9, 2026
Sharma said it had become clear to him that it was time to step away, warning that risks facing humanity extended beyond Artificial Intelligence. He wrote that “the world is in peril,” not only from AI or bioweapons, but from a “whole series of interconnected crises unfolding in this very moment.”
“We appear to be approaching a threshold where our wisdom must grow in equal measure to our capacity to affect the world, lest we face the consequences,” he wrote.
Sharma did not go into specific details, but added, “Throughout my time here, I’ve repeatedly seen how hard it is to truly let our values govern our actions. I’ve seen this within myself, within the organisation, where we constantly face pressures to set aside what matters most, and throughout broader society too.”
On his immediate plans, Sharma said he intends to move back to the United Kingdom and “become invisible for a period of time.”
I'll be moving back to the UK and letting myself become invisible for a period of time.
— mrinank (@MrinankSharma) February 9, 2026
In his resignation letter, he said he now wants to focus on questions that feel fundamentally important to him. Citing David Whyte, he described them as questions that “have no right to go away,” while also echoing Rilke’s call to “live.” He said that, for him, “this means leaving.”
Sharma also said he is interested to pursue “poetry degree and devote myself to the practice of courageous speech.”
He added, “I am also excited to deepen my practice of facilitation, coaching, community building, and group work. We shall see what unfolds.”
More about Mrinank Sharma
Mrinank Sharma is an AI researcher of Indian origin. He holds a DPhil in Machine Learning from the University of Oxford and a Master of Engineering in Machine Learning from the University of Cambridge.
Sharma had joinedAnthropic in 2023. There he led the Safeguards Research Team, which was formed in February 2025. The team worked on lowering risks linked to advanced AI systems, including behavioural issues and alignment challenges, as the company continued to position itself around AI safety.
Anthropic, headed by chief executive Dario Amodei, is known for developing the Claude family of AI models.
