San Francisco-based AI lab Anthropic has taken the generative AI sector by storm once again with the release of Claude 2, the latest version of their highly anticipated AI chatbot. Unlike its predecessor, Claude 2 is now available to the public in the United States and the United Kingdom, showcasing measurable improvements and a wider range of accessible features.
Anthropic, known for its commitment to developing safe and reliable AI systems, launched the initial version of Claude exclusively to businesses just five months ago. However, with the release of Claude 2, the company has opened up the technology to a broader audience through a public-facing beta site and an API, demonstrating their dedication to democratizing access to advanced AI capabilities.
One of the beta testers, Ethan Mollick, an Associate Professor at the prestigious Wharton School of the University, praised Claude 2 for its exceptional document handling abilities, particularly with PDFs, which have traditionally challenged AI models like GPT. Mollick also commended the chatbot’s sophisticated understanding of documents, making it stand out from other models. Additionally, he highlighted Claude 2’s friendly and pleasant AI personality, contributing to a positive user experience. However, Mollick cautioned against using the model for data-related tasks, as it has been known to produce erroneous responses, unlike the Code Interpreter.
According to Anthropic’s official announcement blog, Claude 2 has achieved remarkable achievements in various categories. The AI assistant scored an impressive 76.5 percent on the multiple-choice section of the Bar exam, showcasing its capacity for comprehension and critical reasoning. Furthermore, it performed in the 90th percentile on the reading and writing portion of the GRE, underlining its ability to comprehend and generate coherent written content. Notably, Claude 2’s coding skills have also seen significant improvement, scoring 71.2 percent on a Python coding test, surpassing the previous version’s score of 56 percent.
Earlier this year, Anthropic announced a waitlist for early access to Claude, and their partnership with tech giant Google further solidified their position in the AI industry. Google’s substantial $300 million investment, which granted the company a 10% stake in Anthropic, propelled the startup’s valuation to approximately $5 billion. Anthropic’s decision to choose Google Cloud as its preferred cloud provider further fueled speculation regarding a potential collaboration.
Anthropic has distinguished itself in the AI landscape by prioritizing the development of safe AI systems through their unique “constitutional AI” approach. The company conducts rigorous evaluations and testing, both automated and manual, to ensure the model’s resistance to harmful prompts and vulnerabilities. This commitment helps safeguard Claude 2 against nefarious uses and potential security breaches.
To coincide with the launch of Claude 2, Anthropic unveiled a beta version of a web-based interface called “Talk to Claude.” This user-friendly interface allows users in the United States and the United Kingdom to engage with Claude 2’s advanced conversational capabilities and benefit from its enhanced functionalities.
Anthropic’s release of Claude 2 demonstrates their relentless pursuit of advancements in AI technology, making it accessible to a broader user base. As the generative AI sector continues to evolve, Claude 2 stands out as a promising competitor, offering improved performance, document comprehension, and coding skills, all while upholding safety and ethical considerations.
