Artificial intelligence leader Anthropic is intensifying its outreach to potential investors as it prepares for a highly anticipated stock market debut. During a recent event at its San Francisco headquarters, the company sought to demonstrate its financial health, reporting that revenue reached $16.8 billion in the third quarter ending in September—a 45% increase. This continues a steady upward trend for the year, following revenue figures of $4.7 billion in the first quarter and $11.6 billion in the second. Understands, anthropic revenue surged by 45% to $16.8bn (£12.7bn) in the three months to the end of September.
To bolster confidence, the company announced it achieved a profit in the third quarter on an adjusted basis, a calculation that excludes non-recurring expenditures. Attendees reportedly expressed optimism regarding these financial metrics and the firm’s trajectory toward sustained profitability. This presentation arrives as industry players face mounting pressure to prove their massive capital investments in AI infrastructure can translate into tangible financial returns. It is seeking to position itself as being able to generate huge profits despite spending billions on tech, in common with other AI firms.
Beyond financial performance, the company is actively addressing the safety of its systems. The discourse around AI risks has intensified, with Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei publicly advocating for a tempered pace of technological advancement. These concerns are echoed by internal staff; in September, one researcher estimated a greater than 10% probability that AI could “kill all humans” within ten years, while a former team member noted that those developing the software are “genuinely frightened” by the rapid pace of innovation. It also emphasised safety at its event after warnings by current and former researchers of serious and even existential risks to humanity posed by AI.
The firm has also faced scrutiny regarding potential misuse. In September, Anthropic confirmed it had intervened to disrupt attempts to utilize its models for “malicious activity” that might assist in creating biological weapons. These safety debates are playing out on a global stage, with US President Donald Trump dismissing such warnings as “bringing up things that won’t happen,” while emphasizing that the nation winning the AI race will hold a decisive advantage.
Competition in the sector remains fierce. Rival firm OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, is also planning a significant market entry projected to value the company at over $1 trillion. Unlike Anthropic, OpenAI’s leadership, including CEO Sam Altman, has indicated they will not pursue a public listing this year as they continue to refine their safety protocols.
