Anthropic has strengthened its European presence by appointing Neil Houlsby, a former senior staff research scientist and manager from Google DeepMind, to head its new Zurich office. This marks the company’s third European location, adding to its existing bases in London and Dublin.
The AI startup’s expansion into Zurich follows its recent registration and recruitment efforts in the Swiss city. This development parallels similar moves by rival ChatGPT creator OpenAI, which has established its fifth European office in Zurich, alongside its presence in Dublin, London, Paris, and Brussels.
The recruitment of Houlsby signals an intensifying competition for top AI talent between startups and established tech companies. OpenAI had previously secured three AI researchers – Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov, and Xiaohua Zhai – from Google DeepMind for its Zurich operations.
Anthropic’s Chief Science Officer Jared Kaplan noted Zurich’s standing as a hub for AI excellence, making it an ideal location for the company’s European growth.
This Swiss expansion by leading AI startups comes amid increasing regulatory scrutiny in Europe. The European Union recently passed strict AI legislation, introducing usage restrictions, transparency requirements, and mandatory risk assessments for high-risk AI systems. These rules will be implemented gradually over several years.
The regulatory landscape has sparked debate, with U.S. Vice President JD Vance cautioning at a Paris AI summit that strict regulations could impede the industry’s growth potential.
