Anthropic, the developer of Claude, is planning one of the biggest IPOs in history as a public benefit corporation (PBC), a legal structure that combines the pursuit of profit with obligations to consider a stated public mission and affected stakeholders. Delaware created PBCs in 2013, and Anthropic’s amended certificate of incorporation dated May 7, 2026, says its public benefit is to responsibly develop and maintain advanced AI for the long-term benefit of humanity. OpenAI Group PBC, the developer of ChatGPT, has adopted a similar structure, with a mission stated in its certificate of incorporation dated October 28, 2025, to ensure artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. PBCs remain a small part of the stock market, though their numbers have grown over the past 15 years. Publicly traded examples include Lemonade and Warby Parker. PBCs can pursue profits but must establish standards for achieving their mission and report on progress at least every two years. Anthropic says its board is protected from legal liability when making informed, disinterested decisions that weigh investors, the public benefit and affected stakeholders, even if those interests conflict with shareholders. OpenAI Group says its board must focus solely on its mission, rather than shareholder interests, on safety and security issues; it scrapped its latest model on Monday amid security concerns. No independent audit is legally required to verify a PBC’s mission. Shareholders can sue directors for failing to comply, but Delaware law requires plaintiffs to own at least 2% of the stock or hold shares worth $2 million. Delaware courts have issued few rulings on PBC law, and a judge ruled earlier this year that PBCs do not have to obtain the highest reasonable price in a sale, unlike traditional corporations in the same situation.