Anthropic, a San Francisco startup typically forged as an unbiased participant within the AI race, has deeper ties to Google than beforehand recognized. Court paperwork not too long ago obtained by The New York Times reveal that Google owns a 14% stake within the firm and is about to pour one other $750 million into it this yr by means of a convertible debt deal. In whole, Google’s funding in Anthropic now exceeds $3 billion.
Despite having no voting rights, board seats, or direct management over the corporate, Google’s backing raises questions on how unbiased Anthropic actually is. As AI startups more and more depend on funding from tech giants, regulators have scrutinized whether or not these offers give incumbents an unfair benefit, although the Justice Department simply dropped a proposal that might have pressured the sale of a few of these stakes.
Google, which is creating its personal tech whereas quietly funding rivals, is clearly hedging its bets. Meanwhile, with Amazon additionally funneling cash into Anthropic — it has agreed to speculate as much as $8 billion to date within the outfit — it’s pure to surprise what such ties imply for Anthropic and different massive AI startups. Are they nonetheless mavericks or turning into extensions of Big Tech?
Above: Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei talking at Viva Technology in Paris.
