U.S. AI startup Anthropic is doubling down on its crackdown against Chinese-linked entities, expanding restrictions to include subsidiaries and overseas-based organizations. The move, announced September 5, cites national security risks and affects companies with over 50% ownership by groups in unsupported regions like the Chinese mainland, Russia, the DPRK, and Iran. 💼🔒
Why Now?
Anthropic claims some entities bypassed existing bans by using foreign-registered subsidiaries—a loophole now closed. 'This is the first major U.S. AI firm to formalize such a ban,' noted Nicholas Cook, an AI industry lawyer. While immediate financial losses are estimated in the 'low hundreds of millions,' Cook says the symbolic stance could ripple through global tech policy. 🌍⚖️
China Pushes Back
At a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun criticized the move: 'China opposes politicizing tech and trade.' Meanwhile, Anthropic—valued at $183B and backed by Amazon—continues expanding its AI empire, with 300,000+ business clients using its Claude chatbot. 📈🤖
Legal Headwinds
The announcement follows Anthropic’s $1.5B settlement in a landmark copyright lawsuit over AI training data. Lawyers called it the 'largest recovery in history' for pirated book usage—a sign of growing legal battles in the AI era. ⚖️💸
