Anthropic Warns AI Boom Could Deepen Global Inequality as It Launches India Office

Artificial intelligence has long been promoted as a tool that will simplify work, boost productivity, and unlock new opportunities for people everywhere. But a new report from AI startup Anthropic suggests that the benefits of this technological wave may not be evenly shared. Instead, it warns that AI adoption could deepen the economic divide between wealthy and lower-income nations.

Anthropic, backed by Amazon and Google, released findings indicating that richer countries are embracing AI tools much faster than developing economies. The company says there is currently “no evidence” that lower-income countries are catching up, raising concerns about a widening global gap.

The warning comes as Anthropic prepares to open its first office in India, marking a significant step in its international expansion.

The company based its conclusions on an analysis of more than one million interactions with its Claude chatbot, covering free users, paid subscribers, and enterprise clients. The data showed a clear imbalance: high-income countries tend to integrate AI into workplaces and business processes, while lower-income regions mostly use free versions of the tool for learning and educational purposes.

This contrast could have long-term consequences. Peter McCrory, Anthropic’s head of economics, told Financial Times, "If the productivity gains...materialise in places that have early adoption, you could see a divergence in living standards." He warned that early movers could pull further ahead as AI-driven efficiency grows.

The findings echo broader trends seen across the tech sector. Microsoft has also observed what it describes as a "global north" and "global south" divide in AI usage, with wealthier nation’s leading innovation and deployment.

Anthropic’s data highlights not just economic differences, but also disparities in how AI is applied. In lower-income countries, many users depend on free access and turn to Claude primarily for educational tasks. Meanwhile, users in richer nations often use AI for professional work, coding, and productivity enhancements. According to Anthropic, "Countries differ in their ability to pay for Claude, and [educational] use cases may be better suited to free Claude usage than complex use cases in work areas such as software engineering," the report said.

Education levels also influence outcomes. More experienced or highly educated users tend to craft better prompts, extracting greater value and efficiency from AI tools.

On the economic front, Anthropic estimates that AI could increase annual US labour productivity growth by 1–2 percentage points over the next decade, especially in knowledge-heavy sectors. Its research suggests nearly half of all jobs could use AI for at least a quarter of their tasks, up from 36 per cent last year.

The United States remains the largest user of Claude, followed by India, which has quickly become the company’s second-biggest market. Other active regions include Japan, the UK, South Korea, Brazil, and parts of the Balkans, while Indonesia shows strong educational adoption.

Yet optimism is tempered by reality. A recent MIT study found that 95% of businesses investing in generative AI have not yet achieved a net-positive return.

As Anthropic establishes its presence in Bengaluru, India stands at a pivotal moment—poised to benefit from AI growth, but also facing the broader challenge of ensuring those gains are inclusive.