Anthropic Cofounder Touts Importance of Humanities in Age of AI

Daniela Amodei says uniquely human qualities will be critical as AI augments, not replaces, many jobs.

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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Daniela Amodei, the cofounder of AI company Anthropic, believes that studying the humanities will be more important than ever as AI becomes more prevalent. She says Anthropic looks to hire people with strong communication skills, emotional intelligence, and a desire to help others - qualities that will be increasingly valuable as AI takes over more analytical and technical tasks. Amodei, who majored in literature, argues that understanding history, human nature, and critical thinking will be crucial even as AI advances.

Why it matters

Amodei's perspective challenges the notion that technical skills will be the most important in the AI-driven future. Her views align with those of other tech leaders who see emotional intelligence, collaboration, and judgment as increasingly vital as AI automates more work. This suggests the humanities may play a key role in preparing the next generation for the changing job market.

The details

Amodei, who cofounded Anthropic with her brother Dario, told ABC News that the number of jobs AI could do without human help is 'vanishingly small.' However, she believes AI will actually create more 'meaningful, challenging, and interesting work' by augmenting human capabilities. At Anthropic, Amodei says they look to hire people with strong communication skills, emotional intelligence, kindness, and a desire to help others - qualities she sees as more important than technical expertise alone. Amodei, who has a literature degree, argues that understanding history, human nature, and critical thinking will be crucial as AI advances.

  • Amodei cofounded Anthropic in 2020 after previously working at Stripe and OpenAI.

The players

Daniela Amodei

The cofounder of Anthropic, an AI company, who previously worked at Stripe and OpenAI. Amodei majored in literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Dario Amodei

The brother of Daniela Amodei and the CEO of Anthropic, the AI company they cofounded together.

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What they’re saying

“I continue to believe that humans plus AI together actually create more meaningful work, more challenging work, more interesting work, high-productivity jobs.”

— Daniela Amodei, Cofounder, Anthropic (ABC News)

“The things that make us human will become much more important instead of much less important.”

— Daniela Amodei, Cofounder, Anthropic (ABC News)

“I actually think studying the humanities is going to be more important than ever.”

— Daniela Amodei, Cofounder, Anthropic (ABC News)

The takeaway

Amodei's perspective challenges the notion that technical skills will be the most important in the AI-driven future, suggesting the humanities may play a key role in preparing the next generation for the changing job market as emotional intelligence, communication, and critical thinking become increasingly valuable.