Google has invested $300 million in the generative AI startup Anthropic, according to the Financial Times.
Based in San Francisco, Anthropic describes itself on its website as an AI safety and research organization working to "build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems." The company has developed a generative AI chatbot called "Claude," which is not open to the public but is widely considered a competitor to OpenAI's ChatGPT.
According to the Financial Times, Google will take around a 10% stake in the company as part of the deal. In a separate arrangement Anthropic has a large cloud contract with Google to power its AI software.
Generative AI takes a considerable amount of computing power compared to internet searches. OpenAIMicroso made a similar funding deal with Microsoft, taking $1 billion in order to leverage the larger firm's capacity for computing power to operate its chatbot and image generation software.
Anthropic was founded by Dario Amodei, who left OpenAI in 2021 after disagreeing with its founders over the mission of the company, saying it lost its original goal of AI safety and research for a path towards\ commercialization.
With the Google deal, the company has now raised $1 billion to date. Its previous investors include Alameda Research, the now defunct hedge fund of Sam Bankman-Fried, which invested $500 million in the company.
