Overview
- Anthropic signed a memorandum of understanding with the Albanese government in Canberra on Wednesday that sets up data sharing on AI use and joint safety testing with Australia’s AI Safety Institute.
- Under the deal, the company will provide its Economic Index to help officials track where AI is spreading across sectors and how it could affect jobs and skills.
- Anthropic pledged $3 million in Claude API credits to four institutions — the Australian National University, the Garvan Institute, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Curtin University — to speed genomics work, paediatric heart research and computing education.
- The company said it is exploring Australian data centre and energy investments, and it has told lawmakers it would pay for grid upgrades where it builds, aligning with new rules that require renewable power plans for data hubs.
- The move comes as Anthropic challenges a Pentagon “supply‑chain risk” label in U.S. court that bars federal agencies and defense contractors from using its tools, a restriction reporters say is currently frozen by an injunction.