Anthropic is taking significant steps to secure its future, announcing both a major infrastructure deal and a new high-level policy appointment this week. The artificial intelligence company has reportedly signed a $10 billion, six-year agreement for computing capacity with Volta Infra Holdings, a newly formed cloud startup. Simultaneously, Anthropic has named Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar as its first chief global affairs officer to navigate an increasingly complex regulatory environment in the United States and abroad.
The $10 billion deal with Volta, which is backed by Nvidia and other major investors, provides Anthropic with access to a data center in Norway operated by Bitdeer Technologies. This facility will utilize Nvidia’s advanced Vera Rubin chips, marking a critical expansion of the computing power required to train and run Anthropic’s Claude models. As demand for its AI tools grows among businesses and consumers, Anthropic has aggressively sought out diverse computing suppliers, including partnerships with Amazon, Google, and SpaceX.
To manage the political and legal challenges accompanying this growth, Anthropic has brought on Cuéllar, a former California Supreme Court justice and White House official. His role will focus on managing relationships with the U.S. government, including the current administration, which has previously imposed export controls and other restrictions on the company’s technology. Cuéllar, who previously served on Anthropic’s Long-Term Benefit Trust, is expected to act as a consensus builder as the company faces scrutiny over AI safety, national security, and whistleblower protections.
These moves reflect the intense pressure on AI labs to balance rapid technological scaling with government compliance. While the infrastructure deal ensures the company can keep pace with its competitors, the appointment of a global affairs chief highlights the necessity of maintaining a stable relationship with policymakers. As Anthropic continues to expand, the company must effectively manage both its massive physical footprint and its regulatory standing to sustain its market position.