When did Anthropic claim the distillation campaign against Claude took place?

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Anthropic Identified Distillation Campaign Against Claude AI Model Occurred Between April 22 and June 5, 2026

Anthropic has claimed that a significant distillation campaign targeting its Claude AI model took place between April 22 and June 5, 2026. This operation involved generating over 28.8 million exchanges with Claude, utilizing nearly 25,000 fraudulent accounts. The company has accused Alibaba and its AI lab, Alibaba Qwen, of conducting this campaign.
Campaign Timeline and Scale

The alleged distillation campaign orchestrated by operators affiliated with Alibaba and Alibaba Qwen spanned a period of approximately six weeks in the spring of 2026. During this timeframe, Anthropic recorded more than 28.8 million interactions with its Claude AI model. These interactions were facilitated through a large network of nearly 25,000 fraudulent accounts.
Allegations Against Alibaba

Anthropic's accusation, detailed in a letter dated June 10, specifically names Alibaba and Alibaba Qwen as orchestrators of this large-scale effort. The company described the campaign as a "distillation" process, a method used to train a less capable AI model by leveraging the outputs of a more advanced one. Anthropic contends that such campaigns are designed to accelerate China's acquisition of advanced AI capabilities, such as its Mythos Preview.
Previous Incidents and Broader Context

This alleged campaign against Claude is not an isolated incident. Anthropic previously identified similar operations by other Chinese AI startups, including DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, and MiniMax. These earlier campaigns, identified in February, involved substantial numbers of exchanges, with DeepSeek’s operation reportedly comprising over 150,000 exchanges, Moonshot AI exceeding 3.4 million, and MiniMax surpassing 13 million. Anthropic has noted that these campaigns are increasing in intensity and sophistication, requiring coordinated action across the industry and with policymakers.

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When did Anthropic claim the distillation campaign against Claude took place?

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