Google Invests $2 Billion in AI Startup Anthropic as Competition Heats Up
In a move that highlights the growing race in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), Google has reportedly invested $2 billion in AI startup company Anthropic. Founded former members of Microsoft-backed OpenAI, Anthropic has attracted significant attention from tech giants seeking to assert their dominance in the AI market.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the funding deal involves an initial investment of $500 million, with the possibility of an additional $1.5 billion in the future. With Google’s investment, Anthropic aims to further develop its AI technology and expand its operations.
While Google has not officially commented on the investment, this move follows its earlier investment of $300 million in Anthropic, which gave Google a 10% stake in the company. This indicates Google’s commitment to establishing a strong foothold in the AI industry.
Moreover, Google is not the only tech giant recognizing the potential of Anthropic. In September, Amazon announced its plan to invest up to $4 billion in the AI startup, securing a minority ownership position. This further intensifies the competition in the generative AI market, which is currently dominated OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Anthropic has gained recognition for developing its own chatbot called Claude 2, a direct rival to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Claude 2 has demonstrated outstanding performance, scoring above the 90th percentile on the GRE reading and writing exams, as well as on quantitative reasoning.
The success and potential of Anthropic have earned the company a seat at the table with notable tech giants. Anthropic, alongside Alphabet, Microsoft, and OpenAI, was invited to a meeting at the White House to discuss responsible AI development with US Vice President Kamala Harris. This demonstrates the industry’s recognition of Anthropic as a key player in shaping the future of AI.
To support its growth and innovation, Anthropic has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Anthropic plans to utilize AWS Trainium and Inferentia chips to build, train, and deploy its future foundation models. By leveraging the capabilities and security of AWS, Anthropic aims to enhance the performance and scalability of its AI technology.
With this latest investment from Google and its growing list of high-profile partnerships, Anthropic has already raised a total of $1.5 billion in funding as of July 2023. The company’s journey began in 2021 when former senior members of OpenAI, Daniela Amodei and Dario Amodei, founded Anthropic. Dario Amodei, in particular, brings extensive experience as the former Vice President of Research at OpenAI.
The investment from Google not only provides crucial financial support to Anthropic but also gives the startup a significant advantage in the competitive AI market. With its talented team and innovative technology, Anthropic is well-positioned to continue making strides in the development of AI solutions. As the AI race intensifies, it remains to be seen how these investments will shape the future landscape of the industry.