Anthropic co-founder on cutting access to Windsurf: ‘It would be odd for us to sell Claude to OpenAI’

In a recent discussion at TC Sessions: AI 2025, Jared Kaplan, co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Anthropic, revealed that the company has limited Windsurf’s access to its Claude AI models. This decision stems from ongoing rumors that OpenAI, Anthropic's primary competitor, is poised to acquire the AI coding assistant Windsurf for a substantial $3 billion. Kaplan emphasized the importance of fostering sustainable relationships with clients, stating, "We really are just trying to enable our customers who are going to sustainably be working with us in the future." He further remarked, "I think it would be odd for us to be selling Claude to OpenAI." Windsurf confirmed that Anthropic has curtailed access to popular AI models, Claude 3.5 Sonnet and Claude 3.7 Sonnet, which has compelled the startup to seek alternative computing solutions on short notice. The disruption has left Windsurf disappointed, as it may lead to temporary instability for users attempting to access Claude through their platform. While Windsurf has refrained from commenting on Kaplan's statements, OpenAI has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the acquisition rumors. Kaplan explained the rationale behind Anthropic's decision, citing current computing limitations and a desire to focus on what he termed “lasting partnerships.” Looking ahead, Kaplan expressed optimism about expanding the availability of AI models for developers and users, noting a recent collaboration with Amazon to enhance computing capacity through a new cluster. As Anthropic distances itself from Windsurf, Kaplan is also engaging with other companies, like Cursor, that are developing AI coding tools, asserting that there is no competition between their efforts. He highlighted Anthropic's shift towards creating agentic coding products, such as Claude Code, rather than competing in the crowded chatbot space—arguing that AI agents hold greater promise for user assistance in the future.