AI giant Anthropic signs safety pact with Australia
American artificial intelligence giant Anthropic, which has been locked in a months-long dispute with the US government, has signed an agreement with Australia to cooperate on the security of the controversial technology.
Anthropic’s chief executive, Dario Amodei, will sign a memorandum of understanding at a meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra on Wednesday.
Under the agreement, the company will share findings about the risks and capabilities of AI, collaborate with research institutions and engage in safety and security assessments as part of its commitment to work with the Australian AI Security Institute.
Claude, the maker of the popular chatbot, also agreed to support the local AI ecosystem, collaborate on the development of the technology and ensure future Australian operations align with the government’s expectations for data centers and AI infrastructure developers.
“Australia’s investment in AI security makes it a natural partner for responsible AI development,” Mr Amodei said.
The decision to establish closer ties with Australia comes after the Pentagon called Anthropic a “supply chain risk” in early March and banned US government contractors from using the company’s technology for the military.
Anthropic has since filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense, escalating a months-long fight over the company’s insistence on implementing security measures to prevent the military from potentially using its technology for mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons.
The Australian government announced a deal with Anthropic as a way to capture AI opportunities while keeping its citizens safe.
“(This) sends a clear signal to Australians that we are open to business where investment is aligned with Australian priorities and Australian values,” Industry Minister Tim Ayres said. he said.
In June 2025, the federal government announced a $20 billion deal with Amazon Web Services to fund data center infrastructure, while its New South Wales counterpart on Friday backed a plan for 15 data center projects worth $51 billion.
However, questions have been raised about its sustainability due to concerns about the large amount of resources the data center industry uses.
According to the Australian Water Services Association, some large data centers use up to 40 million liters of water per day; This amount is enough for 80,000 Australian homes.
They also require significant amounts of land, produce a lot of heat and can create noise pollution that affects nearby communities and animals, the Climate Council found.
“We want to make sure that this huge interest in data center investment in our country comes with obligations, including natural resource management, of course water, energy and a number of related factors,” Finance Minister Jim Chalmers told reporters.
Dr Chalmers is set to meet Mr Amodei later on Wednesday.
