Anthropic Blocks OpenAI's Claude Access Amid GPT-5 Release Tensions

Anthropic has blocked OpenAI's access to the Claude API due to service term violations, highlighting growing competition between Claude and GPT-5 in AI programming capabilities. Claude has gained popularity for its performance in programming, text creation, and security, while OpenAI is expected to bring significant improvements with GPT-5. The move underscores tensions in the AI industry ahead of GPT-5's release.

Anthropic has revoked OpenAI's API access to its Claude model, citing violations of service terms. This move comes as OpenAI prepares to release GPT-5, a new AI model rumored to have enhanced coding capabilities. The decision underscores the growing competition in the AI industry, particularly in the realm of programming and text creation.

Claude, developed by Anthropic, has gained popularity for its proficiency in coding, text generation, and security. OpenAI engineers were reportedly using Claude's coding tools to benchmark GPT-5's capabilities, a practice deemed a violation of Anthropic's terms of service. OpenAI had been using Claude via special developer access (APIs) rather than the regular chat interface to evaluate Claude's performance in areas such as coding, creative writing, and safety-related prompts [1].

Anthropic spokesperson Christopher Nulty stated, "Claude Code has become the go-to choice for coders everywhere, and so it was no surprise to learn OpenAI's own technical staff were also using our coding tools ahead of the launch of GPT-5. Unfortunately, this is a direct violation of our terms of service" [1]. OpenAI's chief communications officer, Hannah Wong, defended the company's actions, stating, "It's industry standard to evaluate other AI systems to benchmark progress and improve safety" [1].

This incident is not isolated. Facebook revoked Twitter-owned Vine's API access, and Salesforce restricted competitors from accessing certain data through the Slack API. Last month, Anthropic restricted AI coding startup Windsurf's access to its models after rumors of an OpenAI acquisition surfaced [1]. As the AI race intensifies, this incident highlights the growing tensions and competitive practices in the industry, raising questions about data access, fair competition, and the balance between collaboration and protection of proprietary technologies.

The timing of this incident is significant, as OpenAI is expected to release GPT-5 next week. GPT-5 is rumored to have enhanced coding capabilities and will launch with "auto" and reasoning modes [2]. This move by Anthropic may affect OpenAI's ability to benchmark GPT-5 against Claude, potentially impacting the new model's development and performance.

References:
[1] https://www.wired.com/story/anthropic-revokes-openais-access-to-claude/
[2] https://theoutpost.ai/news-story/anthropic-revokes-open-ai-s-access-to-claude-api-amid-gpt-5-launch-preparations-18573/