Anthropic, a San Francisco startup typically solid as an impartial participant within the AI race, has deeper ties to Google than beforehand recognized. Court paperwork just lately obtained by The New York Times reveal that Google owns a 14% stake within the firm and is ready to pour one other $750 million into it this 12 months via a convertible debt deal. In whole, Google’s funding in Anthropic now exceeds $three billion.
Despite having no voting rights, board seats, or direct management over the corporate, Google’s backing raises questions on how impartial 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 will have compelled the sale of a few of these stakes.
Google, which is growing its personal tech whereas quietly funding rivals, is clearly hedging its bets. Meanwhile, with Amazon additionally funneling cash into Anthropic — it has agreed to take a position as much as $eight billion up to now within the outfit — it’s pure to marvel what such ties imply for Anthropic and different large 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.
