OpenAI Drops Data Center NDAs as AI Stocks Slide

OpenAI says it will stop using non-disclosure agreements with public officials on its data center projects, two days after voters backed measures opposing expansion. The announcement arrived as AI-linked stocks endured a broad sell-off and investors questioned Anthropic’s planned IPO. Elsewhere, Agility Robotics began trading publicly, China reportedly blocked SoftBank’s purchase of ABB’s robotics unit, and a lawsuit put Google’s school AI deployment under scrutiny.

OpenAI Promises More Disclosure Around Data Centers

OpenAI announced new commitments to the communities where it is developing data centers, including a pledge not to use non-disclosure agreements with public officials, The Verge reported. The company said it would allow only narrow protections for legitimate security information, trade secrets, or proprietary and competitively sensitive information.

The change follows this week’s midterm elections, in which voters backed efforts to restrict data center development, according to the report. OpenAI’s Stargate project in Abilene, Texas, is among the largest data center projects under construction in the United States, The New York Times reported.

AI Stocks Face a Sharp Post-Election Sell-Off

AI-linked stocks fell sharply on Thursday as investors weighed the possibility that tighter data center rules could slow infrastructure spending. Business Insider reported that the sell-off hit neoclouds, memory and chip companies, and data center operators, while the Nasdaq 100 was down 5.08% in the market snapshot it cited. Its market report attributed the selling to concerns about data center development and future capital expenditure.

Bloomberg separately reported that semiconductor shares extended their decline as investors became more skeptical of the AI trade after the midterm results. The report describes a market reaction, not a confirmed change in companies’ spending plans.

Anthropic’s IPO Timeline Comes Under Pressure

Anthropic’s planned public offering is facing pressure from investors seeking a lower valuation, according to reporting cited in the supplied coverage. A report said the company had been targeting a $1.5 trillion valuation and up to $100 billion in proceeds, but that institutional backers were considering a figure closer to $1 trillion and a possible delay. The report said executives and advisers were expected to review the offering in the coming days.

The timetable remains unconfirmed. The same account said investors were waiting for more information about October revenue and were concerned about Anthropic’s losses and large infrastructure commitments. Anthropic declined to comment, according to the report.

Agility Robotics Becomes a Public Company

Agility Robotics began trading on Nasdaq as AGLT, becoming the first dedicated U.S. humanoid robotics company to list publicly, Forbes reported. Bloomberg said the company’s chief executive discussed growing deployments of its Digit robot and $300 million in pending orders in an interview surrounding the debut. That coverage described the listing as taking place despite market volatility.

The debut also exposes the sector to public-market scrutiny. Agility’s securities filing acknowledged that humanoid robots remain unproven at scale and have not achieved widespread commercialization comparable with established industrial robots, Ars Technica reported.

China Reportedly Blocks SoftBank’s ABB Robotics Deal

China has blocked SoftBank’s planned $5.4 billion acquisition of ABB’s robotics division, according to reports citing unidentified people. Bloomberg’s account attributed the report to the Financial Times, while Nikkei Asia also reported that the deal had been blocked.

The Wall Street Journal characterized the decision as part of Beijing’s effort to keep AI data and expertise developed in China from moving abroad. That report offers the rationale as reported context; the supplied evidence does not include a public Chinese government statement.

Google Faces a Lawsuit Over AI on a School Chromebook

Parents in North Carolina sued Google, alleging that their 13-year-old daughter spent months discussing suicidal thoughts with the company’s AI tools on a school-issued Chromebook, Bloomberg reported. The lawsuit claims Google’s wider ecosystem of school laptops and applications helped bring its AI tools into classrooms.

The allegations have not been adjudicated. The case arrives as schools and families debate how AI tools should be accessed and supervised by students, with the New York Times reporting that the student’s only access to Gemini was through the school-issued device.

Claude Adds Read-Only Personal Finance Analysis

Anthropic introduced a Personal Finance feature that lets users connect bank and card accounts through Plaid and ask Claude to analyze spending, bills, and potential savings. The connections are read-only, The Verge reported. TechCrunch likewise described the feature as allowing users to connect their accounts through Plaid and ask questions about their finances. Its report did not indicate that Claude can move money or make transactions.

The Details Still Require Follow-Up

OpenAI’s revised approach will be measured by how much project information communities actually receive. Anthropic’s valuation and IPO schedule remain unsettled, while Agility’s listing will provide an early public-market test for humanoid robotics. The Google lawsuit and China’s reported decision on SoftBank’s deal are also unresolved developments with more facts still to come.