Anthropic in talks with Blackstone, other PE firms to set up AI joint venture: Report
Anthropic is in talks with several private equity firms, including Blackstone and Hellman & Friedman, to form an AI joint venture. Information It was reported on Wednesday.
This development comes amid a recent dispute between Anthropic and the US Department of Defense, which identified the company as a supply chain risk.
The dispute briefly disrupted talks about the joint venture, but they were later restarted and back on track, the report said.
What does the partnership plan to do?
The report stated that the startup may aim to sell the Claude manufacturer’s technology to companies backed by investment firms, according to a person who participated in the discussions and another person who provided information on this subject.
If completed, the partnership will adopt a Palantir-style model. The report stated that Anthropic, led by CEO Dario Amodei, will provide consulting services to help companies integrate artificial intelligence tools into their operations.
The move comes at a time when AI is increasingly expected to disrupt the traditional consulting industry by automating some of the key data-intensive tasks that firms have historically relied on human analysts to perform.
Anthropic-US dispute
The ongoing dispute stems from restrictions on the military’s use of weapons. The startup demanded assurances that the AI would not be used for mass surveillance of Americans or autonomous weapons deployment.
Tensions rose further when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth labeled the firm a “supply chain risk” and banned the use of its vehicles by the US Department of Defense and its contractors.
He informed Pentagon leaders that use of Anthropic’s artificial intelligence tools, including Claude AI, could be extended beyond the previously announced six-month phase-out period if deemed critical to national security.
Following these statements, Anthropic filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense, urging the court to act quickly to block the government’s statement. He said he could lose billions of dollars in revenue. Bloomberg It was previously reported.
Technology giants support
Anthropic’s case attracted attention and support from global technology companies. In one such example, Microsoft challenged Hegseth’s action by filing a legal filing last week.
Meanwhile, dozens of AI scientists and researchers from OpenAI and Google, rivals and in Google’s case also an investor, expressed their support for Anthropic through a joint letter to the judge.
They said current AI systems “cannot safely and reliably perform fully autonomous, lethal targeting and should not be available for domestic mass surveillance of the American public.” Bloomberg.
(With wire entry)
