Anthropic, Blackstone bet the next trillion-dollar AI business is implementation, not just models

TechCrunch · 1 month ago · 26 ● 2 sources

Anthropic and Blackstone launched Ode, a $1.5 billion AI implementation company, to deploy engineers who help enterprises integrate AI systems into their operations, following a similar move by OpenAI. Ode currently employs 100 engineers and acquired AI services startup Fractional AI as its foundation, operating on a "Claude-first" principle while remaining open to other AI models. The venture assumes that consulting services for AI deployment—not just model development—represents the next trillion-dollar business opportunity, though it faces competition from OpenAI's Deployment Company and consulting firms like Deloitte and Accenture.