Anthropic, a San Francisco startup typically solid as an unbiased participant within the AI race, has deeper ties to Google than beforehand identified. Courtroom paperwork not too long ago obtained by The New York Occasions reveal that Google owns a 14% stake within the firm and is ready to pour one other $750 million into it this yr by a convertible debt deal. In whole, Google’s funding in Anthropic now exceeds $3 billion.
Regardless of 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 Division 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. In the meantime, with Amazon additionally funneling cash into Anthropic — it has agreed to speculate as much as $8 billion up to now within the outfit — it’s pure to marvel what such ties imply for Anthropic and different huge AI startups. Are they nonetheless mavericks or changing into extensions of Huge Tech?
Above: Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei talking at Viva Expertise in Paris.
