72% of Anthropic's design questions are AI or ML. 62% of OpenAI's are classic.
Photo: Lucas Kepner on Unsplash 21 of Anthropic's 29 reported design questions are about AI systems or ML, against 19 of OpenAI's 50. The one reported the most is a batched LLM inference API over GPUs, last asked Oct 15, 2026. 21 of Anthropic’s 29 design questions are about AI systems or ML. At OpenAI it is 19 of 50. The one reported the most is a batched LLM inference API over GPUs, last asked…
Anthropic and OpenAI design rounds reveal distinct focuses. Anthropic's 29 design questions show 21 centered on AI systems or ML, while OpenAI's 50 questions are predominantly classic system design, at 62%. Anthropic's most frequently asked question is about batching LLM inference API over GPUs, asked Oct 15, 2026. OpenAI prioritizes online chess game, payment system, and a GPU-pool video generation service.
Seven design questions appear at both labs, with Anthropic's design round typically occurring on first onsite day, followed by coding. Managers may review designs, and some loops run two design rounds for specific domains. For Anthropic, focus on AI system and ML design questions, while OpenAI candidates should prepare for classic systems.
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