Anthropic is reportedly exploring a major expansion beyond software by developing its own custom AI chip. The company has started early discussions with Samsung Electronics to manufacture the processor, although the project is still in its initial stages, reports The Information. No manufacturing deal has been signed, and the chip’s design, specifications and production timeline are yet to be finalized.
The reported chip is expected to focus mainly on AI inference — the process of running trained AI models to generate responses for users — rather than training new models. While training large language models requires thousands of powerful GPUs over several months, inference has become one of the biggest long-term costs for AI companies because millions of users interact with chatbots every day.
A custom inference chip could help Anthropic run its models faster, reduce power consumption, lower cloud infrastructure costs and optimize hardware specifically for Claude instead of relying entirely on general-purpose AI processors.
Samsung has emerged as the potential manufacturing partner because it is one of the few companies in the world capable of producing advanced AI chips. Reports suggest the discussions involve Samsung Foundry’s next-generation 2-nanometer manufacturing process, one of the company’s most advanced chip technologies. If the partnership moves forward, it would also be an important win for Samsung’s foundry business, which is competing with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker that currently manufactures many of the industry’s most advanced AI processors.
The timing of this potential deal becomes particularly significant as Anthropic continues its rapid expansion ahead of an expected IPO. In May 2026, the company raised a record $65 billion in its Series H funding round, taking its post-money valuation to approximately $965 billion. Samsung Electronics also participated in the round as a strategic infrastructure partner, along with other semiconductor companies like SK hynix and Micron, further strengthening its relationship with Anthropic.
However, despite these reported plans, Anthropic is expected to continue relying on Nvidia GPUs as well as infrastructure provided by Amazon and Google for the coming years. Notably, designing a competitive AI chip is a highly complex process that usually takes several years, involving architecture design, software development, manufacturing, testing and large-scale deployment. Even if the Samsung partnership moves ahead, any commercial chip is still likely to be years away.
The Tech Portal is published by Blue Box Media Private Limited. Our investors have no influence over our reporting. Read our full Ownership and Funding Disclosure →
Ashutosh is a Senior Writer at The Tech Portal, largely reporting on new tech, and intersection of technology and business. Ashutosh’s career spans across nearly a decade of technology writing across multiple platforms and languages.
