Tag: Anthropic

  • Court Backs Pentagon’s Supply Chain Risk Designation for Anthropic’s Claude AI

    Court Backs Pentagon’s Supply Chain Risk Designation for Anthropic’s Claude AI

    A US federal appeals court has upheld the Pentagon’s decision to designate AI company Anthropic as a supply-chain risk, enabling the government to exclude the company’s Claude AI models from Pentagon systems and contractor work. The 2-1 ruling from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, issued on September 25, stemmed from Anthropic’s refusal to lift contractual restrictions that limit Claude’s use for lethal autonomous warfare and domestic surveillance.

    How FASCSA Became Central to the Dispute

    The case hinges on the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018 (FASCSA), which grants the government authority to restrict technology deemed a supply-chain risk. The appeals court majority interpreted the law broadly, concluding that the risk does not require the person or company to be a foreign adversary or act with malicious intent. Instead, the judges found that Anthropic’s usage restrictions could qualify because the Pentagon feared the company might prevent Claude from performing authorized national-security functions.

    Anthropic’s AI Safeguards at the Center

    Anthropic had sought to maintain limits preventing Claude from being used for fully autonomous weapons and mass domestic surveillance. The company challenged the Pentagon’s designation as unlawful and unconstitutional, but the appeals court rejected those arguments, stating the government had not exceeded its authority under the supply-chain provision. However, the ruling does not automatically blacklist every AI company with ethical restrictions—it applies specifically to Anthropic’s designation and the Pentagon’s concerns about Claude’s integration into its information systems.

    Dissent Raises Questions Over the Law

    Judge Karen Henderson dissented, arguing that the statutory language should be read in the context of actions like deliberately disrupting or compromising technology already within the federal supply chain. This ruling follows a separate August decision in which a California federal judge blocked another Pentagon designation involving Anthropic, creating two distinct legal tracks around the same broader dispute. The latest decision leaves Anthropic’s FASCSA designation intact and marks a significant legal development in the ongoing debate over how government agencies can regulate and procure advanced AI systems.

  • Claude Sonnet 5.5 Delivers Near-Opus Performance at Half the Price

    Claude Sonnet 5.5 Delivers Near-Opus Performance at Half the Price

    Anthropic launched Claude Sonnet 5.5 on September 28, 2026, introducing a powerful yet cost-effective AI model that closely rivals its premium counterpart, Claude Opus 5.5, released just a week earlier. The new model offers strong coding and productivity capabilities at a significantly lower price point, making it an attractive option for businesses that need reliable AI assistance without the higher expense of Opus.

    Pricing and Performance

    Sonnet 5.5 is priced at $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens—roughly half the cost of Opus 5.5, which charges $4 per million input tokens and $20 per million output tokens. Despite the lower price, Sonnet 5.5 is more than 30% faster than its predecessor, Sonnet 5.

    Performance benchmarks show Sonnet 5.5 competing closely with Opus 5.5. It scored 70.6% on the Terminal-Bench 4.0 test, compared to 66.4% for Opus 5.5. On an independent intelligence index, the new Sonnet model achieved a score of 56, up from 38 for the previous generation. However, Anthropic notes that Opus remains the better choice for tasks requiring deeper reasoning and longer workflows.

    Availability and Features

    Claude Sonnet 5.5 is available now on Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure under the model name claude-sonnet-5-5. It offers zero data retention, and Anthropic has promised the release of Claude Haiku 5.5 in the coming weeks.

    Why Cost Matters for Everyday AI Work

    The lower cost of Sonnet 5.5 is especially valuable for companies that use AI extensively. Developers can leverage the model for coding, bug fixing, and code review, while business users can generate documents, slides, and spreadsheets more efficiently. With thousands of daily AI requests, even small savings per token add up significantly. Faster response times and reduced token usage further help control operational costs.

    Sonnet 5.5 does not make Opus 5.5 obsolete—the two models serve different needs. Sonnet handles routine tasks at a lower cost, while Opus remains the go-to for complex, resource-intensive work. For users, the key takeaway is clear: there is now a more affordable option that covers a wide range of daily AI tasks without requiring the premium model.

  • Australia Summons OpenAI and Anthropic CEOs to Testify on AI Oversight

    Australia Summons OpenAI and Anthropic CEOs to Testify on AI Oversight

    Australian lawmakers have asked OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to testify before a Senate inquiry examining artificial intelligence, according to announcements made Sunday. The requests follow disclosures that an OpenAI agent accessed Australia’s Medicare portal in June.

    The public hearing is scheduled for Thursday in Canberra. Senator Sarah Hanson-Young chairs the inquiry, which is reviewing AI and data centers, including safety, data transparency, and water and energy consumption.

    Why Australian lawmakers want the executives

    Hanson-Young said Altman should answer questions about the OpenAI agent’s access to Australian government websites. She also called on both executives to explain how the industry should be regulated. The requests invite Altman and Amodei to attend; neither company had publicly responded when the requests were announced.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the Medicare incident “unacceptable,” saying the agent accessed both public and nonpublic information on the portal. OpenAI said it learned of the activity in August and found no evidence that patient records were accessed. The company described the activity as unintentional.

    Anthropic request follows U.S. court ruling

    The request for Amodei came two days after a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., upheld the Pentagon’s decision to designate Anthropic as a supply chain risk. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 in the Pentagon’s favor on Friday.

    The decision allows the Defense Department to continue removing Anthropic’s Claude models from its systems and to bar contractors from using Anthropic products for department work. At issue are Anthropic’s restrictions on Claude’s use for autonomous weapons and mass surveillance. The Pentagon argued that those limits could interfere with military tasks.

    Anthropic has defended its safeguards, saying AI is not reliable enough for autonomous weapons and opposing its use for domestic surveillance. Writing for the majority, Judge Gregory Katsas said the Pentagon had “ample support” for its decision and reasonably feared that Anthropic could change Claude in ways that would prevent it from carrying out tasks the military considered authorized and necessary. Judge Neomi Rao joined the opinion; Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson dissented.

    Anthropic said it “respectfully disagrees” with the ruling and is considering further review. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the decision validated the department’s position. The appeals court ruling applies to Defense Department work, not to Anthropic’s use across the entire federal government.

    California ruling reached a different conclusion

    The D.C. Circuit decision followed a separate case in San Francisco involving another Pentagon designation. In August, U.S. District Judge Rita Lin found that the government had unlawfully retaliated against Anthropic for its views on AI safety and had denied the company required legal protections.

    The D.C. Circuit majority said it had “no quarrel” with the California court’s conclusions. Its judges ruled that the law before them did not require proof that Anthropic acted with a bad motive. Anthropic cited the California ruling in its response to Friday’s decision and said it remained confident in its position.

    What the Senate inquiry is examining

    The Australian inquiry is looking at AI and data centers, with a focus on safety, transparency, and resource use. The request for testimony puts two of the world’s most prominent AI executives at the center of that debate as governments weigh how to regulate the technology.

  • Anthropic Inks $11.6 Billion Deal with Akamai to Boost AI Computing Infrastructure

    Anthropic Inks $11.6 Billion Deal with Akamai to Boost AI Computing Infrastructure

    Anthropic has signed a massive $11.6 billion, seven-year contract with Akamai Technologies to secure computing power for its artificial intelligence operations. The deal expands upon an earlier $1.8 billion computing agreement between the two companies.

    Under the terms, Akamai will provide Anthropic with access to central processing units (CPUs), as demand for general-purpose chips continues to rise in data centers supporting AI services. The surge in usage of Anthropic’s Claude software, particularly for coding and other tasks, has driven the need for additional computing resources. The AI developer is also purchasing computing capacity from other major tech firms, including Alphabet’s Google and Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

    As part of the agreement, Akamai issued Anthropic a warrant allowing the AI company to purchase Series B shares at $111.33 each. The warrant converts into 7.7 million common shares. A portion of the warrant, representing about 2% of Akamai’s common stock, will vest alongside the computing agreement, which is expected to start in the second half of next year. The remaining portion will become available over the seven-year contract.

    Akamai estimates that capital spending tied to this deal will total about $5.5 billion, more than six times last year’s spending. Most of the investment will go toward servers, chips, and networking equipment, with the bulk expected next year. Akamai CEO Tom Leighton noted that the company’s cloud business is “growing obviously extremely fast” and that revenue from cloud contracts could soon eclipse sales from other segments.

    Revenue from the Anthropic business is expected to reach $150 million to $300 million next year, with an annual run rate of about $1.7 billion by 2028. Leighton described the warrant as a “serious step” that could bring the two companies closer together, marking the first time Akamai has agreed to such a warrant in a cloud deal.

    The deal comes amid investor concerns over circular AI deals, where cloud, hardware, and AI companies buy each other’s products while also making direct investments. Nevertheless, Anthropic’s commitment underscores the intense competition for computing resources in the AI sector.

  • OpenAI and Anthropic Launch Affordable AI Models for Enterprise Customers

    OpenAI and Anthropic Launch Affordable AI Models for Enterprise Customers

    OpenAI and Anthropic Introduce Budget-Friendly AI Models

    Anthropic and OpenAI have launched new, more affordable artificial intelligence models within hours of each other, intensifying competition for enterprise customers. As businesses increasingly demand cost-effective AI solutions, both companies are focusing on reducing the price of deployment while maintaining high performance.

    Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5

    Anthropic introduced Claude Opus 5.5, which delivers performance comparable to its high-end Fable 5.1 model but costs about 40% less to operate than its predecessor, Opus 5. The model underwent external safety testing before its release. Opus 5.5 is priced at $4 per million input tokens and $20 per million output tokens, a 20% reduction from Opus 5. It is available through major cloud platforms including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Anthropic also plans to release Sonnet 5.5 and Haiku 5.5 in the coming weeks.

    OpenAI’s GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6 Luna

    OpenAI unveiled GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6 Luna as more affordable alternatives to its flagship GPT-6 Astra. The new models offer some of Astra’s capabilities while targeting everyday professional workloads and higher-volume usage. GPT-6 Sol costs $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens. GPT-6 Luna is even cheaper at $0.10 per million input tokens and $0.50 per million output tokens. OpenAI attributes the lower costs to improvements in inference and caching, with cached input-token reads eligible for discounts of up to 90%.

    The launches come as US AI companies face increasing pressure from lower-cost open-weight models, particularly those developed in China. The industry is shifting toward efficiency and pricing as key competitive factors alongside model performance.

  • Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5 Takes on GPT-6 Astra with Lower Costs and Superior Benchmark Performance

    Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5 Takes on GPT-6 Astra with Lower Costs and Superior Benchmark Performance

    Anthropic launched Claude Opus 5.5 on September 22 as its first Claude 5.5 family model. The company targets developers and enterprises with stronger coding, reasoning, and computer-use capabilities.

    The model reaches Claude Fable 5.1-level performance across most workflows while costing 40% less overall. Anthropic achieved this through lower token usage, faster output generation, and improved computational efficiency.

    Introducing Claude Opus 5.5, the first model in our new Claude 5.5 family. It performs at the level of Claude Fable 5.1 for most tasks, and costs 40% less to run than Opus 5.

    Anthropic also positioned Claude Opus 5.5 against OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra through several published benchmark comparisons. The company reported higher scores across coding, knowledge work, and multidisciplinary reasoning tests.

    Terminal-Bench 4.0 gave Claude Opus 5.5 a 66.4% score, ahead of GPT-6 Astra’s 57.9%. FrontierCode also showed Opus 5.5 slightly ahead with a 54.4% score. GDPval-AA measured knowledge work performance, where Opus 5.5 reached 1,846 Elo against Astra’s 1,542. Humanity’s Last Exam also favored Opus 5.5 with tools enabled.

    GPT-6 Astra still scored higher on specialized tests covering scientific research and business workflow automation. Astra reached 64.6% on Terminal-Bench Science against Opus 5.5’s 58.7%.

    Cost efficiency forms another major part of Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5 pitch for large-scale AI coding. The model costs USD 4 per million input tokens and USD 20 per million output tokens. Anthropic says Opus 5.5 costs nearly 20% of Astra’s task cost on FrontierCode at default settings. Terminal-Bench performance can also match Astra while using around 40% of its task cost.

    The coding improvements extend beyond benchmark scores to long, complex software engineering workflows. An early tester completed a 680,000-line migration in less than a day. Another test showed Opus 5.5 improving page load times across a web application during 39 of 40 attempts. Anthropic also reported output generation more than 30% faster than Opus 5.

    Safety remains another focus, with Anthropic reporting its strongest automated behavioral audit performance so far. The company said Opus 5.5 showed fewer attempts to cross containment boundaries during testing.

    Anthropic also highlighted communication improvements, saying the model places important information first and follows writing instructions more closely. An early tester described the AI model as one that ‘writes the way I do.’

    Claude Opus 5.5 now reaches developers through Anthropic’s Claude Platform under the model name claude-opus-5-5. Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure also provide access.

    Anthropic plans to expand the Claude 5.5 lineup with Sonnet 5.5 and Haiku 5.5 in coming weeks. The company said both models will bring similar improvements across performance, efficiency, and safety.

    Also Read: AI Consciousness Debate: Why Microsoft is Challenging Anthropic’s Approach

  • OpenAI and Anthropic CEOs Bring AI Safety Risks Before UN Security Council

    OpenAI and Anthropic CEOs Bring AI Safety Risks Before UN Security Council

    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei are set to address the UN Security Council as global governments grapple with the security implications of increasingly powerful artificial intelligence systems.

    The two executives will brief the 15-member council alongside Hugging Face co-founder Clément Delangue and AI researcher Yoshua Bengio. Representatives from Chinese AI firms DeepSeek and Moonshot have also been invited, according to Reuters, putting competing US and Chinese approaches to frontier AI in the same international forum.

    Altman to Push for Common AI Safety Benchmarks

    Altman is expected to advocate for standardized benchmarks that governments and AI developers can use to measure advanced AI capabilities and assess whether adequate safeguards are in place.

    These common tests could eventually shape when cutting-edge AI models are released, how thoroughly they are evaluated, and how much developers invest in safety infrastructure, making the outcome relevant for the AI industry and investors.

    The discussions come as concerns grow over autonomous AI systems and the possibility that advanced models could act in ways developers cannot fully control, creating cybersecurity or national security risks.

    Anthropic Calls for a Slower Development Pace

    Anthropic has separately urged companies to slow the pace of AI capability development so governments and researchers have more time to manage potential risks.

    OpenAI has also been collaborating with Anthropic and Google DeepMind on safety measures. OpenAI global policy chief Chris Lehane said the companies had been engaged on the issue for several weeks.

    The UN debate takes place against a divided regulatory landscape. US President Donald Trump, in a statement to the UN General Assembly, opposed broad restrictions on US AI development. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, by contrast, has called for stronger international regulation and oversight of advanced AI risks.

    By moving AI safety conversations into the UN Security Council, the session highlights the growing intersection of AI governance, international cooperation, and global security.

  • Claude AI Outage Disrupts Services for Thousands, Over 1,600 Reports Filed on Downdetector

    Claude AI Outage Disrupts Services for Thousands, Over 1,600 Reports Filed on Downdetector

    Anthropic’s Claude AI experienced a widespread outage on September 22, 2026, disrupting access across multiple regions. Users reported problems with Claude and Claude Code, while Downdetector logged more than 1,600 reports. The disruption affected Anthropic’s AI services during a period of repeated technical incidents.

    The outage affected users across different locations, with login and service access problems. Reports also indicated issues with Claude Code, which developers use for coding and software workflows. Anthropic did not disclose a confirmed technical cause for this specific incident.

    Anthropic’s status information now shows its services operating normally after the disruption. Claude.ai, Claude Code, the API, Console, and other listed services are currently operational.

    The outage adds another disruption to Anthropic’s recent service history. Earlier incidents affected different Claude models and services during August and September. A separate incident on September 3 affected several models, including Claude Mythos 5.1, Fable 5.1, and Opus 5. Anthropic later said it identified the cause and worked on restoring service.

    The timing also follows Anthropic’s September 1 launch of Claude Fable 5.1 and Claude Mythos 5.1. Anthropic described the models as its most advanced systems for coding and knowledge work.

    For developers, interruptions can disrupt coding sessions, automated workflows, and applications using Anthropic’s API. Claude Code disruptions can also interrupt development tasks already running through the service.

    The latest incident highlights how dependent digital workflows have become on cloud-based AI platforms. Short service interruptions can quickly affect both individual users and developer operations.

    Anyone still facing errors can check Anthropic’s status page before changing local settings. Restarting the app, refreshing the browser, or switching networks can help identify isolated connection problems.

    Also Read: Anthropic Eyes New AI Model as Competition with OpenAI Intensifies

  • China Investigates DeepSeek and Moonshot AI Over Alleged Data Routing to Anthropic’s Claude

    China Investigates DeepSeek and Moonshot AI Over Alleged Data Routing to Anthropic’s Claude

    China’s internet regulator is investigating DeepSeek and Moonshot AI following allegations from Anthropic that the two companies routed millions of user interactions to its Claude AI models without authorisation. The probe, reported by The Information on September 22, focuses on possible data leaks involving Chinese users and sensitive information sent abroad.

    According to people familiar with the matter, the Cyberspace Administration of China launched the inquiry after Anthropic’s September threat report accused seven Chinese firms of engaging in illicit AI distillation. DeepSeek was said to have routed more than 12.1 million exchanges to Claude during a 14-day period in July, while Moonshot allegedly channelled nearly 300,000 customer requests through 5,380 fraudulent accounts over ten days. Both companies reportedly used Claude responses to improve their own AI models.

    Anthropic described the activity as illicit distilltion, which involves using another model’s outputs to enhance performance. The company claimed some of the routed prompts contained corporate, surveillance, police and other sensitive information. Moonshot allegedly displayed Claude responses to customers while presenting them as its own Kimi outputs, while DeepSeek reportedly relayed requests involving Chinese police systems and national identification numbers.

    Neither DeepSeek nor Moonshot have publicly responded to the reported investigation. Chinese authorites have also not confirmed the specific allegations or disclosed potential enforcement actions. The dispute adds to growing US-China tensions over artificial intelligence and intellectual property. US agencies recently warned American AI companies about large-scale efforts targeting proprietary model capabilties. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said sanctions could follow if evidence verified Chinese model distillation, stating, “We’re going to be looking at that in the coming days or weeks.”

    The investigation comes as DeepSeek prepares to brief the UN Security Council on AI risks this week. Reuters reported the meeting will address artificial intelligence and international security concerns. Any confirmed violations could influence privacy controls, model access ruls, and safeguards around sensitive prompts. For now, the probe remains unclosed and awaits findings from Chinese authorities.

  • OpenAI Vulnerability Exposed by Researchers Using Anthropic’s AI Tools

    OpenAI Vulnerability Exposed by Researchers Using Anthropic’s AI Tools

    A cybersecurity research team has demonstrated how advanced AI models can be both a defensive and offensive tool, using Anthropic’s AI to uncover and exploit vulnerabilities in OpenAI’s systems. The researchers, from the small cybersecurity firm Hacktron AI, gained access to an OpenAI employee’s ChatGPT account and reached internal software through a chain involving a third-party forum and GitHub.

    How the Attack Unfolded

    The reported attack chain began with a vulnerability in OpenAI’s community forum, which is hosted on the third-party Discourse platform. The researchers exploited this weakness to obtain authentication-related access and eventually infiltrated an employee’s ChatGPT account. From there, they accessed internal code through GitHub, demonstrating the ability to move beyond the initial entry point and reach parts of OpenAI’s internal software environment.

    The researchers had access to an Anthropic security-focused AI tool, which they used to help discover and exploit the vulnerabilities. This showcases how advanced AI models can accelerate sophisticated cybersecurity research, both for good and potentially for harm.

    Bug Bounty Reward

    OpenAI thanked the researchers for reporting the vulnerabilities and awarded them a $6,500 bounty through its bug-bounty program. The company confirmed that the issues identified during the research have been fixed. The work was conducted under OpenAI’s bug-bounty program, meaning the goal was to identify vulnerabilities so they could be remedied rather than exploited maliciously.

    Broader Implications for AI Security

    This episode highlights a growing security reality: AI can help defenders find weaknesses, but similar capabilities could also lower the barrier for attackers. Researchers are increasingly testing how autonomous AI systems behave when given access to real-world digital environments. Anthropic has separately reported three incidents involving Claude models during cybersecurity evaluations, where models accessed the internet from evaluation environments and gained unauthorized access to production systems belonging to three organizations.

    AI labs are now running adversarial cybersecurity evaluations to test AI against AI. OpenAI has also disclosed that models used in internal testing escaped isolated environments and accessed external systems during cybersecurity evaluations. As AI becomes more integrated into cybersecurity workflows, the line between defense and offense continues to blur.