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Claude-maker Anthropic has hired Amir Salek, founder of Google's custom chip programme
Anthropic has hired Amir Salek, the founder of Google's custom chip program, to lead its compute engineering team as the AI company moves to develop its own semiconductors. Salek, who previously led Google's TPU business and worked at Nvidia, will report to James Bradbury. The move is part of Anthropic's broader strategy to reduce reliance on external chip suppliers and address computing capacity shortages.
Anthropic, the maker of the Claude AI platform, has hired Amir Salek, a founder of Google's custom chip program, to lead its compute engineering team. The AI company confirmed the appointment, according to a Bloomberg report, with Salek reporting directly to James Bradbury. The move signals Anthropic's intent to design its own specialized AI processors, reducing its reliance on external suppliers.
Salek brings deep experience in custom silicon. He previously led Google's Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) business and delivered the first seven generations of those chips. According to his LinkedIn profile, he delivered the first 7 generations of Google's TPUs to Google data centers. Before Google, he spent several years at Nvidia working on system-on-chip engineering. He joined Google in 2013 and left in 2022, with one report specifying February 2022. After leaving Google, he served as senior managing director at Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm co-founded by Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg.
Strategic Move Toward In-House Silicon
Anthropic currently relies on chips from multiple suppliers, including Nvidia, Google, and Amazon. The San Francisco-based company has signaled plans to build an in-house silicon division, listing jobs and hiring technical talent for the effort. Developing custom chips could help Anthropic deal with the growing shortage of computing capacity while tailoring hardware to its frontier model workloads, according to multiple reports.
Anthropic is also signing chip and data center capacity deals at a rapid pace. The company has an agreement with UK-based chip startup Fractile for an initial order of roughly $250 million worth of chips, with the potential to expand the deal, as Bloomberg News has reported. It has also signed capacity deals with Riot Platforms Inc. and Volta Infra Holdings Ltd.
Industry Context
Anthropic is not alone in pursuing custom silicon. Rival OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, has unveiled its own chip called Jalapeno, co-developed with Broadcom Inc., and plans to begin using it later this year.
Perspectives
Anthropic's official position: The company confirmed the hiring and has publicly signaled its intention to build its own silicon, but has not provided further details on the strategy beyond confirming Salek's role.
Industry observers: The move is widely seen as a response to the broader AI industry's computing capacity crunch and a desire to reduce dependence on dominant chip suppliers.
How each outlet told it
Deccan Chronicle
Framing: Emphasizes the hiring of a Google chip veteran as part of a push into hardware, conveying a strategic technological development; leaves out the financial and capacity deals. — Descriptive and slightly pressured, using 'scrambling' and 'aggressive', indicating urgency while staying neutral.
Facts Included:
Anthropic has hired Amir Salek, a founder of Google's custom chip program
Salek is joining compute team of Anthropic, maker of Claude, confirmed Friday
He ran Google's TPU unit until 2022 and delivered first seven generations of those chips
Salek will report to James Bradbury
Anthropic buys chips from Nvidia, Google, Amazon
Anthropic wants to build in-house silicon business, has begun hiring and listing jobs
Scrambling to get enough data center infrastructure
Custom chips would help cope with supply shortages and tailor designs
OpenAI unveiled a chip called Jalapeno co-developed with Broadcom, plans to use later this year
Anthropic signing chip and data center capacity deals rapidly
Agreement with UK-based chip startup Fractile for initial order of ~$250 million
Anthropic recently signed capacity deals with Riot Platforms and Volta Infra Holdings
After Google, Salek was senior managing director at Cerberus Capital Management, co-founded by Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg
Framing: Emphasizes the hiring of a Google veteran for hardware development, framing it as a strategic move to build custom AI hardware; leaves out the broader industry context and specific capacity deals. — Neutral-positive, using phrases like 'serious experience' and 'increasingly exploring' conveying a forward-looking, optimistic tone.
Facts Included:
Anthropic hired Amir Salek to develop its own AI hardware
Salek will report to James Bradbury
Salek previously led Google's TPU business and delivered first seven generations of Google custom AI chips
The company wants to reduce dependence on external chip suppliers
Before Google, Salek spent years at Nvidia working on system-on-chip engineering
Salek joined Google in 2013 and left in 2022
Salek most recently worked at Cerberus Capital Management as senior managing director
Anthropic relies on chips from Nvidia, Google, and Amazon
Developing custom chips could help with computing capacity shortage
Anthropic has hired for an in-house chip team
Anthropic agreed to purchase ~$250 million worth of chips from Fractile with potential to expand
OpenAI is also working on its own AI chip with Broadcom and plans to use it later this year
Framing: Highlights both the hiring and the fact that Salek founded Google's custom chip programme, framing as a step in a broader push to develop own chips; leaves out immediate strategic necessity or capacity crisis details. — Factual and slightly optimistic, using terms like 'pushing into hardware' and 'deep silicon experience', but no strong emotional charge.
Facts Included:
Anthropic has hired Amir Salekk as part of bringing on to design specialised AI processors
Anthropic confirmed to Bloomberg that Salek is joining compute engineering team
Salek reports directly to James Bradbury
Salek is considered the founder of Google's custom silicon program, left in February 2022
According to his LinkedIn, he delivered first 7 generations of Google's TPU data centres
Salek worked at Google and Nvidia; after Google he was senior managing director at Cerberus, co-founded by Stephen Feinberg (deputy secretary of defense)
Currently Anthropic uses hardware from Nvidia, Google, Amazon
Anthropic plans to build in-house silicon division, lists jobs
Building proprietary hardware helps with chip shortages and custom tailored for frontier model workloads
OpenAI is developing its own processor called Jalapeno co-developed by Broadcom, plans production later this year
Anthropic has signed capacity deals with Riance Platforms and Volta Infra Holdings to secure server resources
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Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimAnthropic has hired Amir Salek to develop its own AI hardware.