Generative AI giant Anthropic is making its first media waves in Australia ahead of an apparent major push into the market.

The developer behind the Claude large language models has started working with Sydney-based communications professional Kasi Talbot on the Asia-Pacific market and has recently begun reaching out to Australian journalists.

In an email to select journalists, seen by Mumbrella, Talbot, formerly Sling & Stone’s global consumer lead, noted that Anthropic hasn’t officially launched in Australia yet but is keen to “ensure we are including Australia in our global communications map and building relationships with reporters covering AI, tech and innovation.”

Talbot, who now runs her consultancy Remarkable Comms, added: “Feel free to reach out anytime with questions about Anthropic’s work, or if you need background on AI safety, Claude, or our unique approach. I’m happy to add you to our distribution list for global announcements and regional news if you’re interested.”

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Talbot declined to comment when contacted by Mumbrella.

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Although technically available in Australia, Anthropic has yet to put boots on the ground in the market. However, a job advertisement recently on Linkedin suggests this could change soon.

The company is seeking a “founding” recruiter to build ANZ teams across sales, partnerships, applied AI, marketing, revenue operations and communications.

According to the ad, these roles will be key to “laying the foundation for Anthropic’s long-term success in ANZ.”

Anthropic has already established local customer relationships, notably with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Meanwhile, the federal government recently approved Anthropic, alongside OpenAI, to sell products to non-corporate government departments for use with official information, according to iTnews.

Anthropic was formed in 2021 by members of OpenAI who had become disaffected by what they saw as a lax attitude to safety at the startup. Anthropic’s valuation has rocketed in recent years, with a total company value of US$350 billion based on recent funding rounds.

The company’s local ambitions mirror those of rival OpenAI, which began working with Australian PR agency Kicker Comms last year.