Amazon-Anthropic Partnership Gets CMA Approval

Image by Christian Wiediger, from Unsplash

Amazon-Anthropic Partnership Gets CMA Approval

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In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

  • The CMA cleared Amazon’s $4 billion partnership with Anthropic.
  • Anthropic will use AWS and Amazon’s custom chips for AI development.
  • Anthropic’s UK turnover is below the £70 million threshold for review.

 

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced today that it has cleared Amazon’s partnership with the AI startup Anthropic.

The $4 billion deal involves Anthropic, a San Francisco-based AI safety and research company, using Amazon Web Services as its primary cloud provider. Anthropic will also rely on Amazon’s custom chips to build, train, and deploy its AI models.

The deal also gives Amazon consultation rights on key business decisions and the ability to submit a counteroffer if Anthropic changes ownership.

TechCrunch (TC) noted that the deal has faced scrutiny amid growing concerns about Big Tech’s influence over emerging AI startups, as companies like Amazon seek to expand their influence in the fast-growing field of generative AI.

The watchdog had initially reviewed the partnership to determine if Amazon might gain “material influence” over Anthropic, potentially limiting competition, as noted by TC.

TC suggests this approach, known as a “quasi-merger,” allows Big Tech to influence startups without outright acquisition, raising concerns about long-term control over emerging technologies.

However, the CMA concluded that Anthropic’s UK turnover didn’t meet the £70 million threshold for a more detailed review, and the combined market share of both companies in the region remains below 25%.

This means that Anthropic’s revenue and combined market share with Amazon in the UK weren’t large enough to require further scrutiny.

As a result, the CMA will not conduct an in-depth investigation, clearing the way for the partnership to proceed without further oversight.

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