Google is reportedly in early-stage discussions to significantly increase its investment in the artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, known for its Claude language models. This potential new funding round could value Anthropic at more than $350 billion, signaling a major strategic push to counter rivals like Microsoft, which has heavily invested in OpenAI. The deal's structure is still under negotiation and could manifest as a priced funding round next year, a convertible note, or a strategic partnership involving additional cloud computing services from Google. This move underscores Alphabet's aggressive strategy to solidify its position in the competitive AI landscape and leverage its substantial financial resources to back key players in the field.