Goldman Sachs has stopped its bankers in Hong Kong from using Anthropic’s AI models, according to a source close to the matter. Employees at the U.S. bank in Hong Kong used to be able to talk with Anthropic’s Claude through an internal AI system. However, in recent weeks, they no longer have access, the source said. The Financial Times first reported this news on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the situation.
Goldman’s decision came after the U.S. bank carefully reviewed its contract with Anthropic, following discussions with the company. They concluded that the bank’s employees in Hong Kong should not use any Anthropic products, the report explained.
Other popular AI models, like Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, are still available on Goldman’s internal platform. The source wished to remain anonymous because they were not allowed to speak to the media. While AI models from U.S. companies, such as ChatGPT and Claude, are banned in mainland China, Hong Kong has mostly been free from these restrictions. U.S. companies usually set their own limits on usage there.
A spokesperson for Anthropic told the Financial Times that its Claude models were never officially “supported” in Hong Kong but did not comment further. The newspaper also noted that this decision did not affect Goldman’s contracts with other AI providers like OpenAI.
The Hong Kong government and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment from. In February, Goldman Sachs’ Chief Information Officer, Marco Argenti, mentioned that the bank was working with Anthropic. Their goal was to develop AI-powered tools to automate more and more internal tasks.
This move by Goldman Sachs highlights the complex challenges companies face when using advanced AI tools across different regions, especially given the varying regulations and geopolitical tensions surrounding technology. It also shows how seriously companies interpret their contracts and the rules for using sensitive technology like AI.
