By preston_gralla
Publication Date: 2026-01-27 07:00:00
Microsoft wasted little time last fall after reaching a deal to finalize its new relationship with OpenAI to find a new AI dance partner — Anthropic, the second most valuable AI startup in the world. Even though the relationship between Microsoft and Anthropic is only a few months old, it appears as if Microsoft sees a future with Anthropic that’s at least as valuable as the one it had with OpenAI.
Why might Anthropic become Microsoft’s most important partner? To find out, let’s take a closer look at Anthropic and what it brings to the table.
Anthropic’s beginnings
Anthropic was founded in 2021 when seven AI researchers, including OpenAI Vice President of Research Dario Amodei, quit OpenAI because they felt the company was compromising AI safety with its full-speed-ahead-damn-the-consequences approach.
