OpenAI’s access to Anthropic’s API was cut off this week. Multiple sources confirmed this news to WIRED. Anthropic stated that OpenAI violated their terms of service.
An Anthropic spokesperson, Christopher Nulty, noted, “Claude Code has become the go-to choice for coders. It was no surprise to find that OpenAI’s staff used our tools during the GPT-5 development.” He emphasized that this use was a clear violation of their policy.
Per Anthropic’s terms of service, customers can’t use its services to develop competing products or duplicate their technology. This action comes as OpenAI prepares to launch its new model, GPT-5, expected to excel in coding tasks.
Sources revealed that OpenAI had been accessing Claude through special developer tools, running tests to compare Claude’s capabilities with its models. They assessed responses to safety-related prompts. This practice is common in the tech industry, where companies benchmark each other’s systems.
OpenAI’s communications officer, Hannah Wong, expressed disappointment over the access cut. She said, “It’s standard practice to evaluate other AI systems. While we respect their choice, it’s unfortunate given that our API remains available to them.”
Nulty assured that Anthropic would continue offering API access for benchmarking and safety evaluations, a common approach in the industry. However, it remains unclear how this restriction will affect ongoing work.
This tactic—pulling API access—has been a strategy in tech for years. Facebook did it to restrict Twitter-owned Vine’s growth, leading to claims of anti-competitive behavior. Similarly, Salesforce limited competitors’ access to data through its Slack API.
In July, Anthropic cut off the AI coding startup Windsurf’s access after rumors of an OpenAI acquisition surfaced. This move was described by Anthropic’s chief science officer, Jared Kaplan, who said it would be “odd for us to sell Claude to OpenAI.”
Just a day before revoking OpenAI’s access, Anthropic announced new usage limits for Claude Code due to skyrocketing demand and some violations of its service terms.
As the AI landscape evolves, user reactions on social media indicate mixed feelings. Some applaud Anthropic for enforcing its rules, while others see it as a move to stifle competition.
The competition among AI companies continues to heat up, and such restrictions might become more common as players vie for dominance. With the rapid advancements in AI, user safety and ethical use remain critical topics that demand ongoing discussion and scrutiny.
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