Reed Hastings, the co-founder and former CEO of Netflix, has been appointed to the board of directors at Anthropic, an artificial intelligence startup focused on the responsible development of AI technologies. The appointment, made by the Long Term Benefit Trust, underscores Anthropic's commitment to leveraging Hastings' extensive experience in scaling technology platforms and his philanthropic efforts in education and digital infrastructure.

Hastings, who has also served on the boards of Microsoft and Facebook (now Meta), brings a wealth of knowledge in navigating the complexities of rapid technological growth while ensuring societal benefits. His recent $50 million donation to Bowdoin College for an AI and Humanity research initiative highlights his dedication to exploring the ethical dimensions of AI, aligning closely with Anthropic's research priorities.

"Anthropic is very optimistic about the AI benefits for humanity, but is also very aware of the economic, social, and safety challenges," Hastings remarked. His involvement is seen as a strategic move to guide Anthropic through the evolving landscape of AI development, with a keen eye on minimizing potential negative impacts on society.

The addition of Hastings to Anthropic's board signals a strengthened governance framework as the company continues to grow. Alongside other board members, including Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei and investor Yasmin Razavi, Hastings is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the company's approach to AI development, ensuring it remains aligned with the long-term benefit of humanity.

London's Metropolitan Police has reversed its longstanding position on grooming gangs in the capital, acknowledging for the first time that it has multiple active investigations into group-based child sexual exploitation. The shift came after an investigation by MyLondon and The Daily Express challenged official statements from both police leadership and Mayor Sadiq Khan, who had consistently maintained there were "no reports" or "no indication" of Rochdale or Rotherham-style rape gangs operating in London.

The investigation uncovered evidence from four separate His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services reports spanning 2016 to 2025 that documented at least six potential victims of grooming gang abuse. These case studies, which the Mayor of London personally responded to according to public statements, described children as young as 13 being exploited by groups of predatory men. The reports detailed how girls were plied with drugs and alcohol, raped in hotels by multiple perpetrators, and subjected to life-threatening situations.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley revealed to Assembly Members at City Hall that the force now acknowledges a "steady flow" of live multi-offender child sexual exploitation investigations and a "very significant" number of historic cases requiring reinvestigation. The commissioner estimated these reviews would cost "millions of pounds a year, for several years" to properly investigate, contradicting previous assertions that the force had "not seen" such cases in London.

Political figures including Reform UK MP Lee Anderson and Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp have criticized the mayor's handling of the situation, with Anderson stating there is "real, credible evidence that grooming gangs exist in London" and Philp alleging that Khan is "facilitating a cover-up." A spokesman for the mayor maintained that Khan has "always been clear that the safety of Londoners is his top priority" and remains "committed to doing all he can to protect children in London."