Anthropic defends AI usage oversight as it opens Singapore office

Anthropic wants Singapore’s business. It does not want to stop watching how its most powerful models get used. Co-founder Benjamin Mann said Wednesday that the Claude developer is unwilling to give up all oversight of customer usage. He cited the dual-use nature of advanced AI, meaning the same model that drafts a policy memo could, in the wrong hands, help with something far less benign. The comments landed during Anthropic’s Singapore launch. That timing matters, because governments across the region increasingly want AI providers to keep sensitive data close to home and out of a vendor’s line of sight. A new office, a new MOU, and a pointed question The event took place on October 14, 2026, during Singapore International Cyber Week. Anthropic opened its fifth Asia-Pacific office there, joining existing outposts in Tokyo, Bengaluru, Seoul, and Sydney. The company also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Singapore’s Ministry of Digital Development and Information, or MDDI. Mann signed for Anthropic, and MDDI Permanent Secretary Kai Fong Chng signed for the ministry. Minister Josephine Teo witnessed the signing. So did Michael Sellitto, who heads policy for Anthropic in the A...