OpenAI competitor Anthropic has launched its AI chatbot, Claude, in Europe, a region known for its challenging regulatory environment.
Claude supports multiple European languages including French, German, Spanish, and Italian, enhancing multilingual interactions, Anthropic said in a statement. Earlier this year, the company also launched Claude API in Europe.
Significantly, this comes a day after OpenAI announced a new desktop version of ChatGPT and an upgraded user interface called GPT-4o, which allows interactions via text, voice, and visual prompts.
European customers now have access to Claude.ai, the web-based version, the Claude iOS app, and a Claude Team plan, Anthropic said. The team plan will provide businesses with secure access to Claude’s advanced AI capabilities and the Claude 3 model family, the company said.
Claude.ai and the Claude iOS app will be available for free. Users will be able to subscribe to Claude Pro to access advanced models. For businesses, a Team plan will be available at €28 (approx. $30.21) + VAT per user monthly, requiring a minimum of five users.
Anthropic is backed by Alphabet’s Google and Amazon.
European regulatory challenges
Europe is known for its strict regulations governing tech companies. In April this year, EU lawmakers reached a provisional political agreement on what could be the world’s first set of regulations for AI by a major legislative body.
In January, UK and EU regulators scrutinized Microsoft’s investments in OpenAI, suggesting a potential review. Although later reports indicated that Microsoft might not face any problems, the situation underscored the regulatory hurdles that companies face in the EU.
Things can become even more complex when competition gets involved. For instance, Google Cloud, along with AWS and Europe-based Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE), recently protested against Microsoft’s cloud software licensing practices in the EU.
“Claude’s rigorous adherence to these stringent European regulations is imperative,” said Thomas George, president of CyberMedia Group. “This commitment not only elevates the standards of data privacy and security but [potentially] positions Claude as a benchmark for responsible AI use within the industry. On the cybersecurity front, Claude’s integration introduces significant challenges and opportunities. Such AI models’ extensive use of data highlights the critical need for robust security measures.”
Efforts to expand amid competition
Anthropic’s expansion to Europe could mark its latest growth strategy following several earlier announcements this year.
In March, the company upgraded its flagship models to a new 3.0 standard, enhancing performance across a range of common tasks and increasing processing speeds.
Anthropic now offers three versions of Claude — Opus, which is fully-featured; Sonnet, a mid-tier option, and Haiku, a lightweight version. Each model has varying performance scores across different tasks, with Sonnet and Haiku sacrificing some accuracy for other benefits like speed.
All this comes as Anthropic continues to face stiff competition from rivals. George pointed out that in Europe, Anthropic’s entry can significantly disrupt the existing balance. “With its advanced capabilities, Claude is set to challenge major incumbents like OpenAI and Google, fostering a competitive environment that could greatly benefit European businesses,” George said. “This competition is expected to catalyze innovations, leading to superior AI solutions particularly tailored for sectors such as finance, healthcare, and customer service.”
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