Artificial intelligence is already making its way into laboratories, but there is an important question: who can access these tools when cost and computing power are barriers? Anthropic has just announced an expansion of its programs so more researchers can use Claude in scientific projects.
10,000 scientists will be able to use Claude
Anthropic will open 10,000 free and discounted spots for scientists around the world for one year through a new Claude plan for research teams.
The announced terms are as follows:
- Standard subscriptions will be free.
- Premium subscriptions will cost $15 per month.
- Premium plans will offer usage limits that are five times higher.
- Principal investigators will be able to add members of their laboratories.
To access the program, the researcher must be the project’s principal investigator or hold an equivalent position at an academic institution or nonprofit research organization. Anthropic says it plans to expand the program beyond these first 10,000 spots.
Why does this detail matter? Because in science, having a good question is not enough. Researchers also need tools to review literature, analyze information, create verifiable documents, and work with enough processing capacity.
Claude Science and credits for high-impact projects
The company also highlighted the launch of Claude Science, a product introduced in June that brings together several tools commonly used by researchers.
The goal is for Claude to do more than provide answers: it should produce results that can be reviewed and audited. This is especially important in a laboratory, where a conclusion must be traceable to the data, methods, and sources supporting it.
In addition to subscriptions, Anthropic is expanding its AI for Science program. Until now, most of the support had been aimed at biological science researchers. From now on, researchers from other fields will also be able to apply for scientific credits.
Each project may receive up to $50,000 in credits, especially when it requires intensive use of computing capacity. Anthropic mentions work related to the Riemann zeta function and protein design as examples.
The idea is not to replace scientists, but to reduce the time and cost of certain tasks so they can focus on more difficult questions.
Limited access in biology and chemistry
The announcement also includes restrictions for certain uses. For now, biology and chemistry researchers will have limited access to Opus-class models.
Claude Fable models will continue blocking professional queries related to biology and drug development because of their potential dual-use risks. In other words, the same technology could be used for legitimate purposes as well as dangerous activities.
Anthropic says it is working with the United States government on an access program for life sciences professionals who need to use Mythos-class models in research and development. The first participants have already been admitted, although the company has not publicly detailed the program’s full scope.
A bet on accelerating research
The move shows how AI companies are trying to move beyond general-purpose chatbots toward specialized products for specific industries. In this case, Claude is presented as a tool for exploring documents, organizing evidence, and supporting complex scientific processes.
It remains to be seen how laboratories verify the results and what real impact these programs have. AI can accelerate part of the work, but it does not eliminate the need for experiments, peer review, or human responsibility.
For interested researchers, registration for the scientific teams plan is completed through the verification form indicated by Anthropic in its original announcement. Any researcher can also request support from the AI for Science program for a project that requires more capacity than what is included in the standard or premium plans.
Original source
https://www.anthropic.com/news/expanding-support-for-scientists