Mayor invites AI company Anthropic to expand in London

The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, has extended an invitation to Anthropic, an AI developer based in San Francisco, to consider expanding its presence in London.

Meanwhile, he criticised the Trump administration for attempting to penalise the company.

In a letter to Dario Amodei, the head of Anthropic, Sir Sadiq addressed the issue that arose after the Pentagon labeled Anthropic a risk to their supply chain, following Amodei's refusal to grant US defense agencies unrestricted use of its AI technologies.

"The actions being taken are deeply troubling and are clearly aimed at pressuring Anthropic into abandoning its ethical guidelines," Sir Sadiq commented.

Anthropic indicated its intention to contest this label in court.

When queried about the mayor's letter and his proposal, a White House spokesperson informed the BBC: "President Trump has made it clear that we won't let any radical left, progressive corporation dictate the strategies of the United States Military."

In discussions with Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of Defense, Amodei expressed his concerns about using Anthropic's Claude model for actions such as widespread domestic monitoring or autonomous military targeting.

The Pentagon clarified that the military expects to utilize technology for "all lawful roles" and that the feared applications are illegal and not intended.

Recently, President Donald Trump announced a directive for all federal agencies to cease using Anthropic's technologies immediately.

"Your resilience under such demands is commendable," remarked Sir Khan. "I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can assist with your further expansion."

He added that London offers "a compelling base and opportunity for Anthropic's future growth."

Sir Sadiq's outreach might make London a practical option for Anthropic, as their ties with the US government weaken.

Previously, Anthropic was negotiating with the Department of Defense, but on Thursday, Under Secretary of Defense Emil Michael clarified the talks had ended.