Sen. Elizabeth Warren demands Anthropic answer AI safety questions before its IPO

Sen. Elizabeth Warren sent Anthropic a letter asking the company many questions about the dangers it listed in its paperwork for its planned stock market debut, according to The Wall Street Journal, which saw a copy of the letter. Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, wants the company to answer her questions before it sells shares to the public.

The letter is four pages long, and Warren asked Anthropic to provide "exhaustive responses" by Nov. 3, according to The Wall Street Journal. Her questions examine what the company can do to stop its technology from putting humanity's survival at risk. She also wants details about Anthropic's relationships with partners such as Amazon $AMZN.com and Broadcom $AVGO. She also wants the company to explain how it would support a valuation that could reach nearly $2 trillion.

Warren sent the letter to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. She wrote that the risks from the company's AI technology "demand greater scrutiny before they become intertwined with the public capital markets," according to The Wall Street Journal. In other words, she believes these risks need closer examination before the company enters the stock market.

Anthropic is preparing a stock market debut that could raise as much as $100 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company has filed paperwork that could allow its shares to begin trading as early as the week before Thanksgiving, the Journal reported.

In its filing, Anthropic said its technology could change programming, research and everyday tasks. It might also help cure serious illnesses, according to The Wall Street Journal. But the company warned that AI could also help people create new kinds of biological weapons and could "destabilize the geopolitical order," or disrupt the balance of power between countries.

Warren met with Amodei in Washington this year, according to The Wall Street Journal. She is one of several lawmakers calling on the AI industry to slow down its work on advanced AI systems so stronger rules can be put in place.

Warren previously urged the Securities and Exchange Commission to stop SpaceX's IPO, or initial public offering. In a letter to SEC Chair Paul Atkins, she raised concerns about SpaceX's planned valuation, a company structure that gives CEO Elon Musk a large amount of control, and changes to stock index rules. SpaceX's stock offering went ahead as planned in June, according to The Wall Street Journal.