Anthropic IPO flags public backlash against AI as key risk

Anthropic has listed public resistance to artificial intelligence as a key risk factor in its IPO prospectus. At a 'test-the-waters' meeting in San Francisco, CFO Krishna Rao faced repeated questions about competition, margin pressure from open-source models, and the impact of a slowdown in data center construction.

To meet demand for advanced models, Anthropic is pushing infrastructure partners to speed up building, with tech giants spending hundreds of billions this year on data centers and GPUs. But public opinion doesn't support this expansion. A Gallup poll in May found 70% of Americans oppose building AI data centers in their areas, with nearly half strongly opposed. Heatmap News found 75% oppose data centers near their homes, with 61% strongly opposed, compared to a near tie a year ago.