London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan is inviting San Francisco-based artificial intelligence developer Anthropic to expand its presence in the city, while criticizing the Trump administration for trying to retaliate against the company.
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan is inviting San Francisco-based artificial intelligence developer Anthropic to expand its presence in the city, while criticizing the Trump administration for trying to retaliate against the company.
Sir Khan wrote to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei after the Pentagon placed the company on a threat list, the BBC writes .
“It is extremely disturbing to see this kind of behavior, which is a clear attempt to intimidate and punish Anthropic for refusing to lift its ethical safeguards,” the Mayor of London wrote.
According to a city hall representative, negotiations took place this week with the company's "senior management."
The White House responded to this proposal : "As President Trump said, we will never allow a radical left-wing company to dictate how our U.S. Armed Forces wage war."
“I admire your resilience in the face of such pressure,” Sir Khan wrote. “It would be good to discuss how we could support you in further expanding your activities.”
He added that London "could become an even more significant venue and platform for the future of Anthropic."
The mayor's letter could position London as a viable alternative for Anthropic as the company's relationship with the US government continues to deteriorate.
The Pentagon's decision marked the first time an American company has been deemed a supply chain risk, meaning the government considers Anthropic unsafe for use.
When the Pentagon first threatened such status, Anthropic insiders feared it could hurt the company's business with partners who also work with the US government.
So far, these concerns appear unfounded. Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have said that Anthropic Claude remains available to civilian customers who are not connected to the defense sector.
