Britain targets Anthropic growth as AI firm battles US blacklisting over Claude use

The initiative is being led by the UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with backing from Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The UK government is stepping up efforts to attract AI firm Anthropic to expand its presence in the country, seeking to leverage the company's ongoing dispute with the US Department of Defense.

According to a report by the Financial Times, British officials are preparing a range of proposals aimed at strengthening Anthropic's footprint in the UK. These include plans for a larger office in London as well as the possibility of a dual stock market listing.

The initiative is being led by the UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with backing from Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The proposals are expected to be formally presented to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei during a visit scheduled for late May.

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The outreach comes at a sensitive moment for the San Francisco-based AI company, which develops the chatbot Claude. Anthropic has been locked in a legal and policy dispute with US authorities after refusing to allow its technology to be used for surveillance or autonomous weapons applications.

In response, the US government moved to blacklist the company, citing national security concerns and labelling it a potential supply-chain risk. However, a US judge has since issued a temporary block on that designation, while Anthropic continues to challenge the move through additional legal action.