Google plans to support Anthropic with a $5 billion data center project

Odaily Planet Daily News - Google is preparing to support a large data center project located in Texas, operated by Nexus Data Centers and leased to Anthropic. According to sources cited by the Financial Times, the initial phase of the project could exceed $5 billion, with Google expected to provide construction loans, while a banking consortium is also seeking to arrange financing before mid-year.

Reportedly, Anthropic has recently signed a lease for the 2,800-acre campus, which is part of its broader infrastructure collaboration with Google. The project has begun construction, with early debt financing provided by the publicly listed closed-end investment company Eagle Point. The site is expected to provide approximately 500 megawatts of capacity by the end of 2026, with potential expansion to 7.7 gigawatts in the future.

Additionally, U.S. District Judge Rita Lin in San Francisco issued a preliminary injunction on Thursday, temporarily blocking the Pentagon from designating Anthropic as a national security risk and halting government use of its AI tools. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by Anthropic, with the judge stating that the government’s actions were “arbitrary” and warning against labeling an American company as a threat without clear legal basis. It has been reported that Anthropic previously refused to allow its models to be used for lethal autonomous weapons or mass surveillance, leading to strained relations with the government.