EL7.AI
StocksUpdated•Originally published 16 April 2026•Updated 17 April 2026•
1 min read

Rising Public Backlash Against AI Threatens OpenAI and Anthropic IPO Prospects

Key Facts

1Public sentiment is turning negative toward AI data centers and massive tech spending.
2OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's home was targeted in an attack last week amid rising tensions.
3AI is expected to be a central issue in the upcoming midterm elections.

Major tech firms are facing a growing wave of public resentment toward AI data centers, putting pressure on sector valuations and the IPO prospects of OpenAI and Anthropic. The market is currently witnessing a split between legacy unicorns struggling to prove AI-driven growth and new AI leaders that may still be too early for public markets. Industry giants like SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic are now viewed as pivotal entities that could either reopen the IPO market or significantly drain its liquidity. These structural concerns coincide with rising protests and potential regulatory tightening ahead of the midterm elections. Furthermore, resource consumption and hardware obsolescence remain key anxieties for investors in companies such as MSFT and NVDA. This shift in public sentiment and market dynamics represents a fundamental risk to risk appetite in the tech equity sector.