How an AI giant became obsessed with an albino -alligator

Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limit all rights reserved. Isabelle Bousquette, The Wall Street Journal 4 Min Read 16 Sept 2025, 04:30 PM ist Claude The Albino Gator Photo: Gayle Laird /California Academy of Sciences Acoucidence of Naming has a bizarre but intense connection between a chatbot and a San Francisco Gator Annopic Co-Funder Daniela Amode, urged chatbots on the market. Her 4-year-old son is convinced that her work is taking care of an alligator. It is easy to understand the confusion. The AI ​​instrument shares its name, Claude, with a 30-year-old Albino Gator who has become a local celebrity. They are not related. But they became inseparable. Employees at the Silicon Valley Tech giant of $ 183 billion have developed a bizarre fascination with alligator Claude, living in a piece of wetland in the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Anthropic’s San Francisco headquarters crawl with stuffed albino -alligators. You will find it on work, at the reception and within a sales machine. A appropriate albino -alligator -emoji is one of the most popular reactions to the company Slack Channel, usually an indication of positive vibes. And a 24/7 live stream of the alligator plays on the screens around the office, also at every lift. As the elevators can be slow, the staff spends a decent amount of time in the daily rhythms of Claude, which likes to cuddle with turtles and hold their own hand. “We’re standing around watching Claude, and we’re talking about what Claude does, and often Claude is just a cute interesting guy,” says Margaret Vo, Anthropic’s user training head. Claude moved from Florida to California in 2008 and traveled next to a rattlesnake in the bed of a bakkie. Since then, he has gained a cult under San Franciscans, who sends hundreds of fan letters every year, including homemade art and even cash. He also became the pale face of the academy, who also houses a 93-year-old fish named Methuselah. Claude is known as a little diva with a picky appetite, says Bart Shepherd, senior director of Steinhart Aquarium. He had a roommate named Bonnie earlier, until the two had a break that ended at the bite of one of his toes. Shepherd attributes the broader fascination to the rare color of Claude and the fact that Californians are more wow than Floridians through the sight of an alligator. Claude is the subject of two children’s books. And like other celebrities, he is also the subject of conspiracy theories, including one he does not exist. “People don’t think Claude is a real alligator, and then he’ll move and people will like ‘Ahhh, I didn’t know he was really! “Shepherd says. “It’s like what did you think? That I would make a huge plastic white alligator and put it on a rock? ” Chatbot Claude, named after an AI researcher, was launched in March 2023. No one at Anthropic seems to remember how the obsession started. Some employees who were accidental fans and visited Claude began to push the Gator to become a non -official mascot. Last year, Anthropic held his annual holiday party at the Academy. It bought 600 plushies for staff and sent the month with 80% of the gift shop. VO remembers a Jumbo-sized Claude Plushie Crowdsurfing all night to the songs of Anthropic’s internal orchestra. Earlier this year, the AI ​​company announced that it would sponsor the alligator Claude, including the provision of the casing and the launch of the Claudecam Livestream. Officials at Anthropic and the Academy said they felt a synergy between the two claudes. “Both generate a lot of curiosity and make really complicated topics accessible,” Vo said. Claude turned 30 this month, making him one of the oldest Albino alignors. He has a slate obligations, including a birthday party sponsored by Anthropic. Government officials were imminent, as a special fish cake was reduced in its fence. Mayor Daniel Lurie gave a speech, the Sen. Scott Wiener gave Claude a Senate Certificate and the City declared September 15 as ‘Claude The Alligator Hatch Day’. He appeared on the video before rapper Deeechii’s set at the recent Outside Lands Music Festival, and again in mascot in a Golden State Valkyries game, where fans burst out and an alligator “chomp” with their arms. At one point, the company considered installing an AI experience that could help museum visitors learn more about AI Claude’s Aligator Claude. Then it was a concern: “If you talk to Claude the AI ​​about Claude the alligator, will children think they only talk directly to the alligator?” VO said. What does Ai Claude think about the connection? I asked. “It’s amusing that there is a famous white alligator, and an AI has both called Claude there in the world,” Claude said. “I assume that we are both somewhat unusual in our respective domains – he is hardly thanks to his albinism, and I am … well, an Ai talking to people.” VO said that when clients or visitors come to the office, it is a general source of questions and curiosity. “They’ll get into our elevators, and inevitably someone just goes:” Why are you living an alligator? ” Write to Isabelle Bousquette at [email protected] fasting all the business news, market news, news reports and latest news updates on live mint. Download the Mint News app to get daily market updates. More Topics #Science News Read Next Story