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Home › Today in AI › 19 Oct 2026

AI news today, 19 October 2026

2 AI stories that matter, explained in plain words, each linked to its source.

  • 19 Oct 2026
  • 2 stories
  • in the news

Anthropic

Anthropic puts 5% of its shares in a public fund

What happened

Anthropic, the maker of Claude, says it plans to put 5 percent of its shares into a new fund for the public good. The plan still needs approval from its shareholders. The company says none of the Anthropic shares held by the fund will be used for lobbying or political giving.

Key facts

  • Starting share: 5 percent of Anthropic's shares, per Anthropic's post.
  • Approval: the plan needs stockholder approval.
  • Growth: Anthropic says its board may add 2 percent for every 50 percent rise in the company's value above a set starting point. The post does not say what that starting point is.
  • Combined total: with earlier commitments, about 20 percent of Anthropic's shares will go toward the public good, plus any added later, per the post.
  • Earlier pledges: the post says the co-founders pledged 80 percent of their own equity, and about half of employees use a donation match program.
  • Jobs research: Anthropic says it has separately committed $200 million to study how AI affects the job market.

Why it matters to you

The fund will not pay for lobbying.

Key number: 5% of Anthropic's shares at the start (Anthropic's own post)

Sources

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Microsoft

Microsoft pulls out of a UK AI data center deal

What happened

Microsoft has reportedly backed out of a plan to be the main customer at a big AI data center in Essex, England. The site belongs to Nscale, a British AI cloud company. Reports point to a long wait for electricity from the power grid.

Key facts

  • Chips in the deal: about 23,000 Nvidia AI chips, per the Telegraph as summarized by Techmeme.
  • Original plan: announced in September 2025 with 23,040 Nvidia GB300 chips, delivery aimed at the first quarter of 2027, and 50 megawatts of starting power, per Implicator.ai.
  • Grid wait: the report says the local power network indicated in September that enough electricity would not be there until the early to mid-2030s. The network did not discuss this project directly.
  • Other Microsoft deals: Implicator.ai says Microsoft agreements signed between September 2025 and April 2026 provide up to $43.8 billion through December 2033.
  • Stock plans: Nscale filed publicly on September 18 for a stock listing, per Implicator.ai.

Corrected 19 Oct: we fixed details of this story after checking the source again.

Why it matters to you

The Telegraph says UK grid power is the reason.

Key number: About 23,000 Nvidia AI chips in the cancelled deal (The Telegraph)

Sources

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