Anthropic files for public offering as CEO warns advanced AI could threaten humanity

Anthropic filed paperwork on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, to sell shares to the public for the first time, setting up a possible stock market debut next month from its San Francisco headquarters. The maker of the Claude chatbot is now positioned for what could become one of the largest initial public offerings ever, even as its chief executive has warned that advanced AI could pose serious risks to humanity.

A major test for one of AI’s biggest names

According to the filing, Anthropic is preparing for a listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol ANT. The company was formed in 2021 by former OpenAI leaders and has become one of the central players in the race to build powerful AI systems.

The filing puts Anthropic in a high-profile contest with OpenAI and other rivals. Reporting on the offering says the company’s debut could come close to, and possibly exceed, other record-setting fundraisers in the technology sector. It could also give Anthropic a much larger pool of money to expand its business.

• Company: Anthropic, maker of Claude
• Filing date: Monday, Oct. 26, 2026
• Potential timing: Next month
• Planned listing: Nasdaq Global Select Market
• Ticker: ANT

Revenue is rising, but losses remain huge

The 335-page filing shows Anthropic’s revenue is growing quickly, but the company has not yet reached profitability. It reported a net loss of $80.7 billion in the first half of 2026, compared with a loss of $13 billion in the same period a year earlier.

Even so, the company has already attracted enormous private-market interest. According to the reporting, Anthropic was valued earlier this year at $965 billion by private investors, and some reports suggest that figure could rise to $1.5 trillion or even $2 trillion, although no final valuation has been set.

The company could seek as much as $100 billion in the offering, according to reports. If that happens, it would surpass the current record set by SpaceX earlier this year. The reporting also says Anthropic would rank ahead of OpenAI in going public, adding to expectations of major AI-lab listings.

Money for growth, and possible windfalls for founders

Anthropic says in the filing that money from the offering could be used to buy other businesses and technology and to invest in infrastructure needed to support growth. That would help the company compete in a field where enormous computing power and other resources are costly.

The filing also points to a potential payoff for the company’s founders. Anthropic’s seven founders collectively own nearly 500 million shares, though the document does not say exactly how much of the company that will represent after the IPO. Dario Amodei, 43, and Daniela Amodei, 39, who is the company’s president and Dario’s sister, are each listed by Forbes as worth $15.5 billion.

According to the reporting, a successful public offering could also increase Anthropic’s ability to compete with major rivals, including Google, newer startups in the U.S. and China, and Musk’s SpaceX, which also has an AI business.

Safety warnings remain part of the story

The IPO is drawing attention not only because of its size but also because of the warnings from Anthropic’s chief executive. In September, Dario Amodei said the AI industry should slow the pace of developing the most advanced models so safety measures can keep up. He said that without such a slowdown, AI could eventually create harmful systems that might spread rapidly across the internet.

Anthropic has tried to present itself as more cautious than some rivals, emphasizing safety and responsible development. The company’s filing lists several risks, including retaining key employees, dealing with regulation and securing enough computing power to run its systems. It also warns that its models could “pose catastrophic or existential risks to humanity.”

The company’s public image has also been shaped by disputes with the U.S. government. According to the reporting, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused Anthropic of endangering national security earlier this year, and the company later sued the Pentagon over a supply chain risk designation. The legal fights are still playing out, with each side winning one ruling and both appealing.

Source: WLWT