Anthropic weighs new AI model launch ahead of IPO to counter OpenAI

Anthropic is considering releasing a new AI model to counter OpenAI's momentum following the launch of GPT-6 Astra, according to three sources, ahead of an expected IPO. The potential launch comes despite CEO Dario Amodei's recent call for an industrywide slowdown in AI development. OpenAI released GPT-6 Astra on September 3, gaining traction among businesses and prompting some investors to re-evaluate Anthropic's position as the leading enterprise AI provider. Astra accounted for about 13% of enterprise AI spending tracked by Ramp, compared with about 8% for Anthropic's Claude Fable, and OpenAI led on OpenRouter for the first time in over two and a half years. Anthropic's annualized revenue run rate topped $65 billion by the end of July, and it projects 2028 revenue of roughly $190 billion to $200 billion. The company faces broader competition from open-source models, with Meta Platforms looking to reduce its use of Anthropic's models as it develops internal AI capabilities.