Anthropic is preparing for a possible IPO as Americans become increasingly dissatisfied with the construction of artificial intelligence data centers. According to CNBC, public backlash may be one of the main risks the company will highlight to investors in its prospectus.
Cloud’s founders have held preliminary meetings with bankers and potential investors in San Francisco. The company’s chief financial officer, Krishna Rao, faces competition, pressure from open artificial intelligence models and a possible slowdown in data center construction. In June, Anthropic filed confidentially to prepare for a public offering.
Investors expect the company’s stock market valuation to be around $2 trillion, making the IPO one of the largest in history. At the same time, Anthropic is highly dependent on computing infrastructure: the capacity of the data center is directly related to the ability to develop models and increase revenue. The company has reported annual revenue growth of $65 billion.
The problem lies in society’s attitude toward the expansion of AI infrastructure. A Gallup poll shows that about 70% of Americans oppose the establishment of data centers near their residences, and nearly half of them strongly oppose it. As the midterm elections approach, politicians from both parties have also increased pressure on the industry, which could complicate the continued expansion of Anthropic’s infrastructure.
