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London’s Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, has extended an invitation to the AI company Anthropic, headquartered in San Francisco, encouraging it to expand its operations in London. This offer comes amidst tensions with the U.S. government, as the Trump administration has taken a tough stance against the AI developer, including labeling the company as a supply chain risk. Sir Sadiq openly criticized the U.S. government’s approach, particularly condemning what he views as retaliatory actions against Anthropic.
The tensions escalated following Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s refusal to grant unrestricted access to the company’s AI tools to U.S. defense agencies. After this refusal, the Pentagon formally designated Anthropic as a security risk for government use. Sir Sadiq expressed concern about these developments in a letter to Amodei, stating, “It is extremely concerning to see this kind of behaviour, which is a clear attempt to intimidate and punish Anthropic for refusing to remove ethical safeguards.” In response, Anthropic announced plans to legally challenge the Pentagon’s designation.
Discussions this week between London’s mayoral office and senior leaders at Anthropic signal a growing dialogue about the company’s future outside the United States. Meanwhile, Amodei reportedly resisted proposals to use Anthropic’s AI model, Claude, for mass domestic surveillance or autonomous military targeting, concerns that the Pentagon has addressed by affirming that any military usage would be lawful and that feared abuses are not planned. Despite this, President Trump recently declared that he would order all federal agencies to cease using Anthropic technologies immediately.
Sir Sadiq’s letter emphasized his support, applauding Anthropic’s ethical stance and offering London as a significant platform for the company’s growth. “I applaud your steadfastness in the face of such pressure,” he wrote. “It would be good to discuss how we could support you to expand operations further.” This invitation may present London as a strategic alternative for Anthropic as its relationship with the U.S. government continues its decline. Negotiations between Anthropic and the U.S. Department of Defense have ended, with Under Secretary of Defense Emil Michael confirming there are no ongoing talks. Despite the Pentagon’s designation potentially threatening Anthropic’s business ties, major partners like Microsoft have affirmed their continued collaboration, excluding engagements with the U.S. Department of Defense. Microsoft stated, “Our lawyers have studied the designation and have concluded that Anthropic products, including Claude, can remain available to our customers.”
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