Anthropic Struggles to Secure Cloud Capacity as AWS, Google, Microsoft See It as Rival

Cloud Partnerships Strain as Capacity Falls Short

Anthropic is having trouble securing enough cloud capacity from AWS, Google, and Microsoft, which increasingly view the Claude-maker as a competitor rather than a customer, according to an S-1 filing leaked to The Wall Street Journal. The disclosure highlights the growing tension between major AI labs and the cloud giants that both supply and compete with them.

The leaked filing adds detail to figures Reuters and the Financial Times reported in late September. Anthropic believes it could spend more than $750 billion on cloud contracts, a figure that includes deals still under negotiation. Even so, the company says that amount would not be sufficient to meet its needs.

Anthropic Leases Own Data Centers

To close the gap, Anthropic is leasing its own data centers and working with third-party data center operators. The filing warns, however, that these operators have a "limited operating history," which could make them less reliable than the established hyperscalers.

The enormous spending plans come alongside steep losses. Anthropic reported an $80.7 billion net loss in the first half of the year against $16.3 billion in revenue over the same period. The WSJ report notes that just two customers accounted for about a fifth of sales, underscoring the company's concentration risk.

Risk Disclosures and IPO Timeline

The filing also warns that Anthropic could be held liable for damages caused by harmful AI behavior in amounts that would exceed available insurance coverage. The language builds on previously reported catastrophic risk disclosures in the company's regulatory filings.

Despite the losses, revenue momentum appears strong. Last week, Anthropic told prospective investors that third-quarter revenue alone reached $16.8 billion, up 45% from the previous quarter. The company is reportedly targeting a November IPO. Anthropic did not immediately respond to TechCrunch's request for comment.

Sources: TechCrunch