Anthropic is still grappling with the economics of compute
At a moment when Anthropic's compute margins should be getting better, they’re getting worse.
Anthropic, the AI lab, is grappling with the economics of compute as it approaches its IPO. In a new filing, the company disclosed more about the costs associated with compute usage, which have been worsening. Revenue reached $17 billion in the latest quarter, up from $11.5 billion, but operating losses also grew due to increasing compute costs.
Compute costs now account for 58% of revenue, up from 48% in the previous quarter. The company spent $10 billion on compute in the quarter, with $5 billion coming from short-term commitments that are more expensive than longer-term ones. Anthropic has been paying SpaceX $1.25 billion a month for compute, along with large deals with other companies.
Despite efforts to build its own compute base, known as "Anthropic Direct," the company's margins have worsened due to high demand. The filing notes that compute and infrastructure expenses are expected to increase, and will likely remain the largest operating expense for the foreseeable future.
Written by urgent.news from TechCrunch's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
