London Mayor Sadiq Khan Invites Anthropic to Relocate After Trump Conflict

Summary

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has formally invited Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to relocate the AI company to London following a high-profile dispute with the Trump administration. In a letter to Amodei, Khan praised Anthropic's "steadfastness" after the company refused to provide the U.S. military with access to its AI tools due to concerns about mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. The Pentagon subsequently canceled Anthropic's contract, and President Trump officially designated the company as a "supply chain risk" — marking the first time such a label has been applied to any company.

Khan positioned London as offering a "stable, proportionate and pro-innovation environment" where responsible AI development can flourish. He requested a meeting with Amodei to discuss AI safeguards and how London could support Anthropic's expansion. The mayor emphasized his commitment to training Londoners with AI skills as automation potentially displaces workers, referencing his recent warning that AI could become a "weapon of mass destruction of jobs" without proper guardrails.

The conflict between Anthropic and the U.S. government has triggered speculation about whether the company might leave the United States entirely. Following Anthropic's removal from Pentagon projects, OpenAI quickly signed its own defense contract. Amodei has vowed to challenge the "supply chain risk" designation in court, arguing it has a "narrow scope" and that the law requires "the least restrictive means necessary." Tech enthusiasts and thought leaders, including Dutch philosopher Rutger Bregman, have called on European governments to welcome Anthropic, with Khan's letter representing London's formal pitch to become the company's new home.

• The dispute has sparked speculation about Anthropic potentially leaving the U.S., with OpenAI quickly securing its own Pentagon contract after Anthropic's removal