Palantir Technologies Inc co-founder Joe Lonsdale has identified SpaceX and Anthropic as his top investment choices in the artificial intelligence sector, favoring them over OpenAI. In an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Lonsdale stated that he has already invested in SpaceX and Anthropic, describing them as the two strongest companies in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. His comments highlight a shifting competitive dynamic among major AI labs, with Anthropic gaining ground due to strong enterprise demand for its Claude family of models.

Lonsdale attributed Anthropic's rise to superior execution and focus. He suggested that OpenAI may have diluted its momentum by expanding into multiple business lines and losing talent. "OpenAI was probably doing too much and lost some talent," Lonsdale said, contrasting this with Anthropic's concentrated approach. Despite this critique, he emphasized that OpenAI remains an impressive company with strong capabilities in coding and expressed confidence that it would address its current challenges.

The investor's endorsement underscores the growing influence of Anthropic in the generative AI market. While OpenAI is often viewed as the face of the industry, Lonsdale's remarks suggest that some Silicon Valley figures see Anthropic gaining a durable advantage. SpaceX, meanwhile, remains his preferred infrastructure play tied to the AI boom, reflecting the broadening scope of the sector beyond pure-play AI companies.

Lonsdale's assessment comes as billions of dollars continue to flow into AI, intensifying competition among leading labs. His ranking places SpaceX as the top infrastructure bet and Anthropic as the leading pure-play AI company. "I think those are the two strongest right now by far," he said, signaling confidence in their long-term prospects amid the sector's rapid expansion.