Google is reportedly making a new investment of over USD 1 billion in Anthropic, a generative AI start-up known for its Claude family of AI models. Having already committed approximately USD 2 billion to Anthropic, Google is now increasing its stake in the company, according to the Financial Times, which cited four sources familiar with the matter. Anthropic develops tools for generating text, images, and code in response to user prompts.
Also Read: Anthropic Unveils New AI Model with Computer Use Capability
Venture Investments
Anthropic is also expected to secure an additional USD 2 billion from venture investors led by Lightspeed Venture Partners in a separate deal, potentially tripling its valuation to around USD 60 billion, the report said, citing several people with direct knowledge of the deal.
According to the report, Anthropic's annualised revenue reached USD 1 billion in December —a tenfold increase from the previous year—although profitability remains a distant goal due to the high costs associated with AI development.
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Profitability Remains a Challenge
Despite these challenges, investors are not anticipating that Anthropic or its competitors will be profitable in the near term, due to the significant expenses involved in developing leading AI models. However, they remain optimistic that advancements in technology could eventually generate trillions of dollars in value, the report said.
"Right now, I'm more confident than I have been at any previous time that we are very close to powerful capabilities?.?.?.?AI systems that are better than almost all humans at almost all tasks," Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, according to the report.
The latest investment from Google in Anthropic adds to a total investment of USD 8 billion from Amazon, marking the e-commerce group's largest-ever venture investment over the past 18 months. Amazon is also working to integrate Anthropic's Claude models into the next-generation Alexa smart speaker.
Also Read: Amazon Invests USD 4 Billion More in Anthropic, Expands AI Partnership
Anthropic's Focus on AI Safety
Founded in 2021 by ex-OpenAI employees, Anthropic differentiates itself by prioritising AI safety. The company has introduced advanced features, including AI systems capable of controlling computers, and is now focused on developing autonomous AI agents—software designed to perform tasks and navigate the web on behalf of human users.
