Artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic is launching its first smartphone app and a new enterprise subscription plan to expand the reach of its Claude chatbot.
The San Francisco-based company, which focuses on safe AI, said in a Wednesday (May 1) announcement that the new iPhone app will be available to both free and paid Claude users. The app will sync with the web-based version, allowing users to switch between devices and continue their conversations seamlessly. The move positions Anthropic to compete more directly with industry giants like OpenAI and Google.
“Early testers report that the Claude app is exceptional for brainstorming ideas on the go, getting quick answers to questions, or analyzing scenes and images from the real world,” the company said in a blog post. “Our new iOS app puts the power of frontier intelligence in your back pocket.”
A key feature of the app is its ability to analyze photos taken by users, enabling the chatbot to perform tasks such as image recognition.
The smartphone app will allow users to interact with the Claude AI assistant on their mobile devices.
Anthropic’s Ambitions
The new offerings mark a significant step for Anthropic, which aims to make its advanced AI technology more accessible to both individual users and businesses. The introduction of an enterprise subscription plan demonstrates Anthropic’s commitment to serving businesses.
Anthropic’s expansion of Claude’s reach through these new offerings is expected to intensify competition in the AI industry.
Anthropic is also targeting businesses with a new subscription plan. For $30 per user per month, with a minimum of five users, companies can provide their employees with enhanced access to Claude. The startup plans to add additional features in the coming weeks, including collaboration tools.
“Claude enables companies to shape their workflows based on their teams’ unique needs and goals, rather than being limited by their existing tools,” the company wrote on its blog. “Built with security and data privacy in mind, Claude helps protect sensitive business information.”
Apple’s AI Play
While there’s no indication that Apple is behind the recent Anthropopic news, the iPhone maker is making a big push into AI. According to a Financial Times report on Tuesday (April 30), Apple has poached numerous artificial intelligence experts from Google.
The analysis, based on scrutiny of hundreds of LinkedIn profiles, job listings and research papers, revealed a significant hiring surge by Apple to bolster its AI and machine learning endeavors. Apple has recruited at least three dozen specialists from Google as part of its efforts to expand its expertise in these domains.
According to Bloomberg News, Apple has also reopened discussions with OpenAI regarding the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) functionalities into future iPhone models. Sources familiar with the matter said both companies are negotiating potential terms of an agreement and exploring how OpenAI’s artificial intelligence capabilities could enhance the iPhone’s operating system. Anthropic was founded by former OpenAI team members Daniela and Dario Amodei.
This recent development signals a resumption of talks between the two tech giants following a period of minimal communication. Additionally, Apple is reportedly in discussions with Google regarding the licensing of its AI chatbot. PYMNTS has reached out to both Apple and OpenAI for comment but has yet to receive a response.
