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Anthropic to open first India office in 2026 amid AI boom

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Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company backed by Google and Amazon, announced plans to open its first office in India next year as demand for AI tools accelerates across the country.

The expansion marks a major step in Anthropic’s global growth, with India already standing as its second-largest market for the Claude chatbot, which rivals OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Claude is popular among developers for its strong coding capabilities and multilingual features.

The new office will be located in Bengaluru, India’s leading technology hub, and operations are set to begin in early 2026. CEO Dario Amodei will visit India this week to meet with government officials and business partners, the company said.

India’s rapidly growing tech ecosystem — fueled by a billion internet users, rising corporate investment, and a strong talent base — has drawn top AI firms into competition. OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, is also preparing to open its first Indian office in New Delhi later this year.

Google Pledges $1 Billion for AI Training at U.S. Universities

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Alphabet’s Google (GOOGL.O) announced a $1 billion, three-year commitment to support artificial intelligence training and tools at U.S. higher education institutions and nonprofits. Over 100 universities, including major public systems like Texas A&M and the University of North Carolina, have joined the initiative so far.

The program will provide participating schools with cash funding and resources such as cloud computing credits to facilitate AI training for students and research projects in AI-related fields. The $1 billion figure also includes the value of paid AI tools, including an advanced version of Google’s Gemini chatbot, offered free to college students.

Google aims to expand the program to every accredited nonprofit college across the U.S. and is exploring similar initiatives internationally, said Senior Vice President James Manyika. However, he did not disclose how much of the commitment represents direct funding versus cloud credits and software licenses.

This move follows similar efforts by AI competitors like OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon, and Microsoft, the latter having pledged $4 billion to boost AI education globally. By introducing their AI tools to students early, tech companies hope to foster long-term adoption as these students join the workforce.

Despite some concerns around AI’s impact on education, including issues like academic dishonesty and critical thinking erosion, Manyika said Google has encountered little resistance from university administrators but expects ongoing discussions about best practices.

“We’re hoping to learn together with these institutions about how best to use these tools,” he said, emphasizing the initiative’s collaborative nature and potential to influence future AI product development.

Duolingo Raises 2025 Revenue Forecast as AI Features Boost User Growth

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Duolingo (DUOL.O) raised its annual revenue forecast and surpassed second-quarter revenue estimates on Wednesday, driven by increased adoption of its AI-enhanced subscription services. The language-learning app’s shares climbed about 20% in after-hours trading.

Operating on a freemium model, Duolingo offers free basic lessons with premium tiers that provide advanced features through monthly or annual subscriptions. The company now expects 2025 revenue between $1.01 billion and $1.02 billion, surpassing analysts’ consensus of $996.6 million. Previously, the forecast ranged from $987 million to $996 million.

For the April-June quarter, revenue reached $252.3 million, beating analysts’ estimates of $240.7 million.

Duolingo’s two subscription tiers, Super and Max, include AI-powered tools like video-call conversation practice with chatbots, personalized error analysis, and improved feedback. Since launching its AI video-call feature on Android in January, the company has expanded it to more languages to enhance natural conversation practice and drive subscription growth.

The company’s gross margin exceeded expectations this quarter due to lower-than-anticipated AI costs and stronger ad performance, which, while a smaller part of the business, contributed positively to margins, CFO Matt Skaruppa said.

Duolingo uses generative AI to craft and personalize lessons across more than 100 languages. CEO Luis von Ahn noted that after 12 years to develop its first 100 courses, AI tools helped launch 148 new courses in about one year.

Looking ahead, Duolingo expects third-quarter revenue between $257 million and $261 million, exceeding analyst forecasts of $253 million, and projects adjusted core profit for 2025 in the range of $288.1 million to $295.5 million.