Anthropic PBC is in talks to buy the artificial intelligence startup Decart AI for about $6 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
Decart makes so-called world models, which aim to simulate the physical world, as well as software that can reduce the cost of training AI by helping chips work more efficiently. The latter tech could help Anthropic’s existing infrastructure absorb more demand, according to a person familiar with the matter. Anthropic, which rarely makes large acquisitions, has been spending heavily on computing power to develop new products and serve customers.
The deal has not been finalized and talks could fall through, said some of the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private negotiations. If completed, it would mark Anthropic’s largest known acquisition, ahead of a hotly anticipated initial public offering.
Decart’s team would join Anthropic’s inference and performance organization, one of the people said.
Decart’s world models are aimed at helping businesses in a range of applications including autonomous driving and e-commerce. Its Lucy AI model, for instance, can take in live video of a person and use it to generate a real-time, high-resolution video that makes it look like the person is actually trying on a dress or a bag — a task that long bedeviled fashion e-commerce tech developers. Realistic rendering of fabrics has long been a sticking point. E-commerce platform eBay Inc., an investor in the company, is also a Decart customer.
