Microsoft and Meta are reducing their reliance on Anthropic's Claude models as the startup evolves into a direct market rival. Microsoft executives Scott Guthrie and Jay Parikh have directed staff to prioritize internal solutions, such as GitHub Copilot and OpenAI models, over external alternatives.
The shift at Microsoft includes a significant reduction in spending, which was previously projected to exceed $1 billion annually. The monthly per-employee budget within the company's cloud division has been slashed from $100,000 to approximately $10,000, representing a cut of more than one-third of the total expenditure.
Meta has also scaled back its usage, with the number of Claude Code users dropping from roughly 60,000 to 30,000. This decline is attributed to internal workforce reductions and a strategic push toward proprietary tools like Muse Code and MetaCode. Previously, Meta spent over $105 million on Claude Code during a single 28-day period.
Strategic competition is a key factor in these decisions. Meta aims to promote its own AI products and has reportedly sought to limit Anthropic's access to its training data. Meanwhile, Microsoft faces pressure as Anthropic's new offerings, such as Claude Cowork and ChatGPT Work, increasingly compete with its established Office software suite.
