# Anthropic custom AI hardware development

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/anthropic-custom-ai-hardware-development
> Updated: 2026-08-24T10:47:29.000Z. Sources: 10. Developments: 2.

Anthropic has hired Amir Salek, a former Google executive who led the development of the first seven generations of Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), to join its computing team. Reporting to James Bradbury, Salek will lead efforts to develop custom AI hardware.

This strategic move is intended to reduce the company’s reliance on external suppliers like Nvidia, Google, and Amazon. By designing specialized silicon optimized for its Transformer-based algorithms, Anthropic aims to improve computational efficiency, lower costs, and reduce energy consumption for model training and inference. This shift toward vertical integration aligns Anthropic with competitors such as OpenAI, which is also pursuing custom silicon solutions.

## Claims

- Anthropic has hired former Google chip expert Amir Salek to develop proprietary AI hardware. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Amir Salek previously led Google’s Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) business and contributed to the development of its first seven generations of custom AI chips. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Anthropic aims to reduce its reliance on external suppliers like Nvidia, Google, and Amazon by developing custom silicon. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Amir Salek will join the compute team and report to James Bradbury. (single source)
- Anthropic has reportedly agreed to a deal worth approximately $250 million to purchase chips from the UK-based startup Fractile. (single source)
- Anthropic was founded by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei with a focus on ethical AI development. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-24: Anthropic hires Google chip veteran Amir Salek for custom AI hardware

Anthropic has hired former Google chip expert Amir Salek to develop custom AI hardware, aiming to reduce reliance on external suppliers like Nvidia and optimize performance for its Claude models.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/anthropic-hires-google-chip-veteran-amir-salek-for-custom-ai-hardware

### 2026-08-22: Anthropic hires former Google TPU lead to develop custom AI chips

Anthropic has hired former Google TPU lead Amir Salek to bolster its efforts in developing in-house custom AI chips and expanding data center infrastructure.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/anthropic-hires-former-google-tpu-lead-to-develop-custom-ai-chips

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Cite as: Anthropic custom AI hardware development. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/anthropic-custom-ai-hardware-development