Sadiq Khan has reached out to Anthropic’s CEO, praising the company’s ethical stance after it was blacklisted by former US President Donald Trump, signaling London’s ambition to become a global hub for responsible AI development.
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has personally written to Dario Amodei, chief executive of the artificial intelligence firm Anthropic, congratulating him for his “steadfastness” after the company clashed with Trump over military use of AI technology. The California-based firm, known for its AI assistant Claude, refused to allow its models to be used in autonomous weapons systems or mass domestic surveillance, prompting Trump to label it “woke” and “radical left.” US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also criticised Anthropic, saying its tools would be replaced by a more “patriotic” company, while rival OpenAI proceeded to sign a deal with the White House.
In his letter, Khan described Trump’s treatment of Anthropic as “extremely concerning” and highlighted the firm’s approach to AI safety and governance as a model for future development. “I believe that London can provide the stable, proportionate and pro-innovation environment in which this kind of AI can flourish,” he wrote, offering to discuss ways the capital could serve as a larger platform for the company’s expansion. Anthropic already maintains a significant presence in London, with around 200 staff contributing to key product development, and former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak serving as a senior adviser.
London has emerged as a major centre for AI outside the United States and China, hosting Google DeepMind’s headquarters in King’s Cross alongside offices for OpenAI, Inflection AI, and Anthropic. OpenAI recently pledged to expand its London operations, which currently number around 30 staff. Khan’s outreach to Anthropic comes amid his longstanding clashes with Trump, dating back to 2016, and a history of public spats over everything from protests to personal attacks. Khan’s office emphasised that it would not dignify Trump’s recent “appalling and bigoted comments” regarding the mayor.
Anthropic defended its stance against military use of AI, stating that current models are not reliable enough for fully autonomous weapons and that mass domestic surveillance violates fundamental rights. By courting the firm, Khan positions London as a safe, forward-looking environment for AI development that prioritises ethics and human rights over political pressure, reinforcing the capital’s growing reputation as a global AI hub.
