Anthropic has revoked API access to its Claude family of AI models for its competitor, OpenAI. According to reports, the decision was made after Anthropic determined that OpenAI was connecting Claude to internal tools for performance comparisons against its own models in areas like coding and writing.
In a statement, an Anthropic spokesperson told TechCrunch that OpenAI’s technical staff were using their coding tools ahead of the launch of GPT-5, calling it a “direct violation of our terms of service,” which prohibit using Claude to develop competing services. However, Anthropic clarified that it would continue to permit access specifically for the purposes of benchmarking and safety evaluations.
Responding to the move, an OpenAI spokesperson described its usage of the models as “industry standard.” The spokesperson also expressed disappointment with the decision, noting that OpenAI’s own API remains available to Anthropic.
This action is consistent with Anthropic’s previous stance on providing services to competitors. The company’s Chief Science Officer, Jared Kaplan, had previously explained a decision to cut off access to the startup Windsurf by citing its status as an OpenAI acquisition target.
