NYC Comptroller Urges Anthropic to Delay IPO Over AI Safety Risks, Company Opens Talks

New York City Comptroller Mark Levine has called on Anthropic PBC to postpone its planned initial public offering, citing unresolved AI safety and governance risks that he says must be addressed before the company faces shareholder pressure to prioritize financial performance. Levine, who oversees public pension funds holding more than $325 billion in assets, warned that a major AI safety incident occurring after a listing could severely damage investors.

Anthropic has responded by opening a line of communication with Levine following his letter earlier this week, though no agreement to delay has been announced. The company is reportedly targeting an IPO as early as November, off the back of quarterly revenue of $16.8 billion, making it potentially one of the largest public offerings in history.

The standoff signals that AI safety concerns are beginning to surface as a tangible obstacle in the IPO process, with implications for investor confidence and regulatory scrutiny across the broader tech sector.