Reports show that Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs (GS) has disabled access to Anthropic’s Claude AI tool for its staff in Hong Kong, China. This move comes as the bank seeks tighter control over data use and system risk as AI adoption grows globally. The decision was also made amid rising U.S.-China tensions over control and access to advanced AI tools such as Anthropic’s new Mythos model.
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Goldman Sachs Shuts Down Claude AI for Hong Kong
Goldman Sachs’ Hong Kong team can no longer use Claude AI models on the bank’s internal AI system, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. The tool had been available to staff before, but access was quietly withdrawn in recent weeks.
Despite the change, other AI tools like Google’s (GOOGL) Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT are still available to Goldman Sachs’ Hong Kong staff. Although the reason for the cut-off has not been confirmed, reports suggest that the bank is strictly following its deal with Anthropic after meeting with officials from the AI company.
Based on the information on Anthropic’s website, Hong Kong is not listed as a supported market for its Application Programming Interface (API) and Claude AI. Hence, Goldman concluded that its staff in the city, the main business hub in the Asia-Pacific region, should not be allowed to use any of Anthropic’s products.
At the same time, Anthropic CIO Marco Argenti said earlier this year that the firm has been working with Goldman Sachs to develop AI agents for banking tasks. He said the tools are designed to support a wide range of work across the bank, including routine operations.
However, neither firm has confirmed any link between that work and the recent restriction in
Hong Kong. The report is based on information from people familiar with the matter.
AI Tensions and Risk Concerns Shape Claude’s Restriction
The recent restriction comes as tensions between the U.S. and China surge over access to AI, tech, and data control. These issues will be discussed during a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping this May in Beijing.
Notably, many global tech firms that operate in Hong Kong are not available to users in mainland China. This is because most of these companies claim their models are being used by Chinese rivals to train cheaper AI versions.
For instance, in 2024, OpenAI restricted China from having access to its API due to similar concerns. There are also wider fears about how AI tools could impact financial systems. For example, Anthropic’s latest model has drawn attention from banks and regulators due to its potential risks.
Because of these concerns, the U.S. government issued a global warning to all Chinese AI operators concerning alleged AI thefts last week. At the same time, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) said it had contacted major banks to review financial risks tied to AI and ensure safety nets are in place.
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