Anthropic, a San Francisco startup often cast as an independent player in the AI race, has deeper ties to Google than previously known. Court documents recently obtained by The New York Times reveal that Google owns a 14% stake in the company and is set to pour another $750 million into it this year through a convertible debt deal. In total, Google’s investment in Anthropic now exceeds $3 billion.

Despite having no voting rights, board seats, or direct control over the company, Google’s backing raises questions about how independent Anthropic really is. As AI startups increasingly rely on funding from tech giants, regulators have scrutinized whether these deals give incumbents an unfair advantage, though the Justice Department just dropped a proposal that would have forced the sale of some of those stakes.

Google, which is developing its own tech while quietly funding competitors, is clearly hedging its bets. Meanwhile, with Amazon also funneling money into Anthropic — it has agreed to invest up to $8 billion so far in the outfit — it’s natural to wonder what such ties mean for Anthropic and other big AI startups. Are they still mavericks or becoming extensions of Big Tech?

Above: Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei speaking at Viva Technology in Paris.