Three sources tell Reuters Anthropic is considering a new model release after Amodei’s slowdown call, as Astra gains enterprise spend share and IPO timing slips toward post-midterms.
Anthropic is considering rolling out a new AI model to counter OpenAI’s momentum since the launch of GPT-6 Astra, according to three people familiar with the matter, Reuters reported. The story was carried Monday, September 21, 2026, by The Hindu and TechCentral. Anthropic declined to comment.
Competitive pressure after Astra
OpenAI released GPT-6 Astra on September 3, citing gains in computer use, software engineering, cybersecurity, and professional work. Astra has drawn a strong enterprise response, Reuters said, prompting some investors to re-evaluate Anthropic’s position as the leading enterprise AI provider.
Corporate-expense platform Ramp’s latest data put Astra at about 13% of tracked enterprise AI spending, versus about 8% for Anthropic’s Claude Fable. On OpenRouter, OpenAI model spend led Anthropic last week for the first time in more than two and a half years, the wire reported.
Safety-first identity under IPO clock
The potential launch follows Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s September 12 essay arguing the industry must slow the pace of capability releases for safety. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk backed that call, Reuters noted. Anthropic is evaluating the safety of its next model as part of release deliberations, one of the sources said.
The wire framed the decision as a test of whether Anthropic can defend enterprise share while keeping the safety-first identity that has set it apart. Discussions also weigh model-release investment against profitability as rising rates focus investors on cash-flow timing, people familiar with the company’s thinking said. Open-source and open-weight models were cited as a broader competitive pressure beyond the Anthropic–OpenAI race.
Revenue lead, IPO timing, Meta
Anthropic’s annualized revenue run rate topped $65 billion by the end of July, up from about $9 billion at the end of 2025, Reuters previously reported, with 2028 revenue projected at roughly $190 billion to $200 billion. OpenAI’s ARR passed $40 billion in July.
Anthropic could push its IPO to after the November U.S. midterm elections, two people familiar with the matter said. Marketing was previously expected to begin in mid-October at the earliest. Altman confirmed Saturday that OpenAI will not IPO in 2026, citing AI safety concerns.
Meta Platforms, among Anthropic’s largest customers, is looking to reduce its use of Anthropic models as it builds more AI in-house, sources told Reuters. Meta did not immediately comment.
Sources
- https://www.reuters.com/business/anthropic-considers-releasing-new-ai-model-ahead-ipo-sources-say-2026-09-19/
- https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/anthropic-considers-releasing-new-ai-model-ahead-of-ipo-sources-say/article71489989.ece
- https://techcentral.co.za/anthropic-new-model-openai-astra/286325/