New York City Comptroller Brad Lander sent a letter to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on October 14, requesting that the company postpone its initial public offering. Lander, who oversees pension funds with assets exceeding $325 billion, argued that the preparation for a public listing diverts essential resources from addressing critical safety concerns.
The request follows reports that Anthropic’s draft S-1 filing contains 80 pages of risk disclosures, including warnings about potential existential threats posed by artificial intelligence. Lander is calling for the company to provide specific details on planned audits, internal controls, and a timeline for implementing safety measures before proceeding with the IPO.
Anthropic filed confidentially for an IPO in June, with reports suggesting the company aimed to begin trading before the Thanksgiving holiday. The company recently announced that it has begun providing METR, a nonprofit organization, with access to its models for independent third-party assessments of its safety practices.
The push for safety oversight aligns with broader efforts in New York City to regulate AI development. The city council held a hearing on the subject on October 5 and is currently reviewing several bills. Meanwhile, other industry players like OpenAI have previously delayed public offering plans due to similar concerns regarding AI safety.
