Anthropic warns of existential risks ahead of Nasdaq debut

Anthropic has warned that advanced AI could pose “catastrophic or existential risks to humanity” as it disclosed plans for a US stock market listing. The Claude developer plans to trade on Nasdaq under the symbol ANT, but has not announced a listing date, share count or price range. It said systems developed without adequate safeguards could become dangerous if misused, weaponised, replicated or allowed extensive autonomy.

The company reported $16.3bn (£12.2bn) in revenue for the first half of the year and losses of more than $80.7bn. Anthropic said it would continue making investments that could initially appear irresponsibly large, arguing that its business depends on developing the most advanced models. Its debut will make it the first fully AI-focused company to go public, offering a test of investor willingness to keep funding the technology.

Disclosed risks include reliance on cloud providers, Taiwanese chipmakers and US-concentrated data centres, alongside potential regulatory action and uncertainty over liability for AI systems’ actions. Current and former employees have also warned that development is outpacing protections against future harms. Anthropic nevertheless outlined potential benefits in medicine, scientific progress and productivity, including the possibility of finding cures for cancer and Alzheimer’s.