Anthropic taps SpaceX data center in bid to meet AI demand

AI startup Anthropic has announced a significant computing partnership with Elon Musk's SpaceX to secure access to a vast data center, aiming to keep pace with the growing demand for its AI services, particularly for its Claude Pro and Claude Max plans. Under the agreement, Anthropic will utilize all compute capacity at SpaceX's Colossus 1 data center in Memphis, Tennessee, a facility originally intended for Musk's xAI venture. The deal provides Anthropic with over 300 megawatts of capacity, supported by more than 220,000 Nvidia AI chips, by the end of May. The company stated this additional capacity would also allow it to double the amount of Claude Code and remove restrictions during busy periods, enhancing developer access to its powerful AI models. This partnership is notable given previous public friction between Musk and Anthropic's leadership. However, Musk recently expressed a change in tone on X, praising Anthropic staff after meeting with them. The Colossus facility itself has faced controversy, with xAI installing natural gas-burning turbines that drew protests from civil rights groups in the Memphis area due to concerns about air pollution. This agreement follows other major compute deals Anthropic has secured with companies like Amazon, Google, Broadcom, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Fluidstack.