Forms part of broader potential partnership with government

AI company Anthropic may invest in AI infrastructure in Australia as part of a broader agreement with the Australian government.

The company behind the frontier AI model Claude has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to "cooperate on AI safety research and support the goals of Australia's National AI Plan."

Anthropic

Anthropic could invest in "data center infrastructure and energy throughout the country" in line with the country's recently released expectations of projects proposed by data center and AI infrastructure developers.

These expectations include: prioritizing Australia's national interest; supporting Australia's energy transition; sustainable and efficient water usage; investment in Australian skills and workforce; and research, innovation, and local capability.

Proposals aligned with these five expectations will be prioritized by the Australian government.

Details about the size of Anthropic's potential investment were not provided.

The memorandum document itself does not explicitly mention investments in data centers, instead stating that Anthropic supports the Australian government's expectations and will "align its Australian operations with those expectations."

The memorandum also states that the AI company will partner with Australian research institutions to conduct medical research and support computer science education, cooperate with Australia's AI Safety Institute, share its Anthropic Economic Index data tracking AI's impact on the economy, and plan to develop AI training within the workforce.

A memorandum of understanding is typically a preliminary agreement, and this memorandum is no different, stating that it is "intended as a statement of intent and is not intended to have legal effect."

Australia is looking to capitalize on the AI boom by attracting data center investments. It launched its National AI Plan last December, which outlined the government's stance on data centers and AI more generally.

Anthropic may invest in Australian data center infrastructure