Anthropic signs AI safety agreement with Australia

Anthropic and the Australian government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on March 31, 2026, focusing on AI safety research and supporting Australia s National AI Plan. Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra to formalize the agreement.

This is the first formal partnership under Australia s National AI Plan, launched in late 2025. The agreement covers AI safety research with Australia s AI Safety Institute, workforce development, and AUD 3 million in academic partnerships with universities including ANU and Curtin.

Anthropic will share data from its Economic Index to track AI adoption across the Australian economy, and explore investments in data center infrastructure in the country. The company is also opening a Sydney office in 2026.

The agreement mirrors similar collaborations Anthropic has with AI safety institutes in the US, UK, and Japan, marking a significant expansion of the company s international footprint.