Anthropic is in early-stage discussions with Samsung Electronics to develop a custom AI chip, potentially utilizing Samsung's cutting-edge 2nm semiconductor process and advanced packaging technologies [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The company has not yet finalized the chip's exact functions, performance goals, or how it will be integrated into its server infrastructure [1, 3, 4].
Currently, Anthropic relies on chips from Google (TPU), Amazon (Trainium), and Nvidia (GPU) for its AI workloads. The company says these hardware components will remain pivotal to its computing strategy, despite plans for a custom chip [1, 4]. Anthropic aims to reduce dependence on Nvidia GPUs and cloud providers, seeking greater cost efficiency for running its Claude AI models [1, 4].
Samsung is a major AI chip foundry partner to key industry players. It manufactures AI chips for Nvidia, Meta, and more recently Tesla, and is expanding orders from Meta and Anthropic [1, 7, 6, 8]. Samsung’s 2nm process is attracting increasing attention: Meta plans to shift its third-generation AI chip production from TSMC to Samsung, with contracts valued at over 10 trillion KRW for next-gen ASIC AI chips named MTIA [7, 6, 8].
Samsung’s AI chip foundry backlog is estimated near 50 trillion KRW, driven by surging demand from Tesla, Meta, and Anthropic for AI server chips [7, 6, 8].
Anthropic’s chip project remains at an early stage and has not advanced into detailed design, testing, or manufacturing [5]. A Reuters report from April noted Anthropic exploring in-house chip production amid global chip shortages [1]. In early July, reports confirmed the startup began early work on its AI chip and negotiations with Samsung for manufacturing [1, 2].
Anthropic describes its hardware approach as "a diversified hardware stack that includes chips from Google, Amazon, and Nvidia [that] will continue to be pivotal to its compute strategy" [1]. A similar statement noted Amazon’s Trainium, Google’s TPUs, and Nvidia GPUs remain core to the firm’s compute strategy while declining to comment on custom chip plans [4].
The next concrete step for Anthropic will be defining the chip’s detailed design and performance targets as negotiations with Samsung advance, though no timetable has been shared [5].
