Anthropic’s trillion-dollar IPO collides with voter backlash against AI data centers

Anthropic is preparing for a potentially historic IPO, targeting a valuation of $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion for its Nasdaq debut in mid-November, amid significant public backlash against AI and data centers following Tuesday's midterm elections. Voters delivered a stinging rebuke of AI, with candidates favoring stricter regulation winning in key states and local communities opposing data center ballot measures in 40 of 41 cases. Over half of voters cited AI data centers as a major factor in their congressional choices, while the Nasdaq suffered its steepest drop in 19 months. Anthropic, known for its Claude models and enterprise focus, faces heightened scrutiny as the first pure-play AI company to go public, potentially minting new billionaires. The company has committed about $895.4 billion to compute and infrastructure, while a recent survey found 71% of respondents distrust big tech on data center development.