Anthropic pledges $20 million to back candidates who support AI safety and regulation

Anthropic Pledges $20 Million to Candidates Who Favor AI Safety

Anthropic's contribution is part of its commitment to governance that enables AI's transformative potential and helps proportionately manage its risks. Anthropic PBC is donating $20 million to a political advocacy group called Public First that's backing congressional candidates who favor safety rules for artificial intelligence, bolstering the company's fight for "responsible AI" as Silicon Valley money floods into congressional races across the US. The donation promises to strengthen AI safety advocates' fight against Leading the Future, a billionaire-backed super political action committee that plans to spend $125 million this year to stack Congress with allies who support lighter regulation of the technology. "In circumstances like these, we need good policy: flexible regulation that allows us to reap the benefits of AI, keep the risks in check, and keep America ahead in the AI race," Anthropic wrote in a blog post published Thursday morning. "We don't want to sit on the sidelines while these policies are developed." The company wrote in its post that the contribution is "part of our commitment to governance that enables AI's transformative potential and helps proportionately manage its risks." Anthropic has set itself apart from rivals, including OpenAI, by pushing for stringent AI regulations. OpenAI and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz have lobbied aggressively against state AI safety rules across the country, arguing they could hamper innovation and imperil the US in its technology race against China. Anthropic, meanwhile, has urged caution as AI becomes part of daily life. "At present, there are few organized efforts to help mobilize people and politicians who understand what's at stake in AI development," Anthropic wrote. "Instead, vast resources have flowed to political organizations that oppose these efforts." Public First Action has pledged to support candidates who favor AI regulations in the "public interest." The group on Thursday announced it's launching an ad campaign to support Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn, who's running for Tennessee governor. An affiliated super political action committee, Defending Our Values PAC, will run ads supporting Nebraska Republican Senator Pete Ricketts, who is running for reelection. The ad campaigns will highlight Blackburn and Ricketts' calls to rein in the AI industry. Ads for Blackburn will focus on her work promoting the children's online safety legislation during her time in Congress, while the campaign for Ricketts will promote his support for export controls that keep AI chips away from foreign adversaries like China, according to Public First. Public First Action didn't specify how much it's spending on the ad campaigns. The group has yet to disclose how much money it has raised beyond the $20 million from Anthropic. Anthropic's pledge comes as pro-AI super PAC Leading the Future, whose backers include OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and Andreessen Horowitz, unleashes its war chest on races across the country. Leading the Future, which says it has $70 million on hand and tens of millions of dollars more committed, is spending to boost candidates who share its vision for industry-friendly rules and oppose candidates who favor more stringent government oversight. Leading the Future and its two affiliated PACs have already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on campaigns opposing an AI safety advocate running for Congress in New York and supporting an Elon Musk ally in Texas. The group on Wednesday announced it will spend half a million dollars to boost a Republican in North Carolina and "seven figures" to support two Democratic candidates in Illinois.

Anthropic gives $20 million to group pushing for AI regulations ahead of 2026 elections

The Anthropic AI logo is displayed on a mobile phone with a visual digital background. Anthropic, the artificial intelligence lab that's taken heat from the White House for its support of regulations and safety, is putting $20 million into the political arena ahead of the 2026 elections. The company said on Thursday that it's donating to Public First Action, a group that's challenging the AI industry by supporting candidates across the political aisle. The group has just launched six-figure ad buys to back pro-AI regulation candidates Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Pete Rickets from Nebraska, both Republicans. Blackburn, a U.S. senator now running for governor of her state, has led kids online safety bills, while Ricketts, who's running for re-election, introduced legislation this year to limit advanced U.S. chips from being sold to China. Public First Action is headed by former lawmakers Brad Carson and Chris Stewart. Carson told CNBC in an interview that the group aims to support about 30 to 50 candidates this cycle, and plans to raise between $50 million to $75 million. That's far less than the $125 million raised so far by pro-AI PAC Leading the Future, whose donors include tech investment firm Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, venture capitalists Joe Lonsdale, angel investor Ron Conway and AI software startup Perplexity. Carson said public opinion is on his side. A Gallup survey published in September found 80% of respondents wanted rules for AI safety and data security, even if that means slowing development of the technology. "Leading the future is driven by three billionaires who are close to Donald Trump" with a "particular view of how AI regulation should go and want to kind of buy it off," Carson said. "We believe it should be more democratically accountable." In a blog post, Anthropic said policy is needed to "keep the risks in check" as well as "maintaining meaningful safeguards, promoting job growth, protecting children, and demanding real transparency from the companies building the most powerful AI models." David Sacks, President Trump's AI and crypto czar, criticized Anthropic in October, after Jack Clark, one of the startup's co-founders and its current head of policy, published an essay called "Technological Optimism and Appropriate Fear," which sparked a debate over AI regulation online. Sacks posted on X that Anthropic was "running a sophisticated regulatory capture strategy based on fear-mongering." He said the company is "principally responsible for the state regulatory frenzy that is damaging the startup ecosystem." Two months later, President Trump signed an executive order issuing a single regulation framework for AI, undermining the power of individual states, namely Democratic-led states like California and New York.

Anthropic to donate $20m to US political group backing AI regulation

Move puts AI firm in opposition to ChatGPT maker OpenAI, which has advocated for less stringent AI regulations Anthropic will spend $20m to back US political candidates who support regulating the AI industry, according to a company statement released on Thursday. Anthropic's donation puts it in opposition to ChatGPT maker OpenAI, which has advocated for less stringent regulation of AI. The company is donating to Public First Action, a political group that opposes federal efforts to quash state AI regulations like a December executive order issued by Donald Trump. One of the candidates that the group is backing is Republican Marsha Blackburn, who is running for governor in Tennessee and who opposed an effort in Congress to bar states from passing AI laws. "The companies building AI have a responsibility to help ensure the technology serves the public good, not just their own interests," the company said in a statement. The AI industry is poised to play a major financial role in the US midterm elections this year, as its leaders seek to influence regulation of the technology. Several states have passed laws or are considering bills to regulate the industry. Two former members of Congress launched Public First Action late last year to counter a group called Leading the Future, which generally opposes strict AI regulations. Leading the Future is backed by AI industry leaders such as OpenAI president Greg Brockman and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen. Andreessen's firm, A16Z, is an investor in OpenAI. Leading the Future has raised $125m since its founding in August 2025, according to a spokesperson for the organization.

Anthropic pours $20 million into AI policy fight

Why it matters: AI policy is becoming a campaign flashpoint, and super PACs are raising millions to sway voters. Context: Public First Action is tied to two super PACs, one Democratic and one Republican, that plan to back candidates who support AI safeguards. * The priorities include giving the public more visibility into AI companies, opposing preempting state-level AI regulation without a strong federal standard, export controls on AI chips and regulation on high risks like AI-enabled biological weapons. What they're saying: "At present, there are few organized efforts to help mobilize people and politicians who understand what's at stake in AI development," Anthropic said in a press release. * "Instead, vast resources have flowed to political organizations that oppose these efforts. Public First Action is working to fill that gap." The big picture: Anthropic is an outlier in the industry, positioning itself as the poster child for regulating AI, from limiting exports of sensitive technology to proposing an AI transparency framework.

Anthropic gives $20M to group backing AI safeguards

Anthropic said Thursday that it is giving $20 million to Public First Action, a group launched last year by two former congressmen to support efforts to develop AI safeguards. The AI firm, which was founded with a particular focus on safety, underscored that the rapid development of AI comes with "considerable risks" and argued this requires "good policy" to limit these risks and maintain U.S. leadership. "That means keeping critical AI technology out of the hands of America's adversaries, maintaining meaningful safeguards, promoting job growth, protecting children, and demanding real transparency from the companies building the most powerful AI models," the company said in a press release. "We don't want to sit on the sidelines while these policies are developed," it continued. Public First Action was launched in late November by former Reps. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) and Brad Carson (D-Okla.). The AI advocacy group is out with its first ad this week touting Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) for her work on kids' online safety. 2024 Election Coverage Stewart and Carson also launched two separate super PACs last year, one Republican and one Democratic, to back candidates that support AI regulation. This was widely seen as an effort to counter Leading the Future, a super PAC backed by several major AI industry players. "At present, there are few organized efforts to help mobilize people and politicians who understand what's at stake in AI development," Anthropic said Thursday. "Instead, vast resources have flowed to political organizations that oppose these efforts." "The companies building AI have a responsibility to help ensure the technology serves the public good, not just their own interests," it added. "Our contribution to Public First Action is part of our commitment to governance that enables AI's transformative potential and helps proportionately manage its risks."

Anthropic to donate $20 million to US political group backing AI regulation

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Anthropic will spend $20 million to back U.S. political candidates who support regulating the AI industry, according to a company statement released on Thursday. The company is donating to Public First Action, a political group that opposes federal efforts to quash state AI regulations. One of the candidates that the group is backing is Republican Marsha Blackburn, who is running for governor in Tennessee and who opposed an effort in Congress to bar states from passing AI laws. "The companies building AI have a responsibility to help ensure the technology serves the public good, not just their own interests," the company said in a statement. The AI industry is poised to play a major financial role in the U.S. midterm elections this year, as its leaders seek to influence regulation of the technology. Several states have passed laws or are considering bills to regulate the industry. Two former members of Congress launched Public First Action late last year to counter a group called Leading the Future, which generally opposes strict AI regulations. Leading the Future is backed by AI industry leaders such as OpenAI president Greg Brockman and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen. Andreessen's firm, A16Z, is an investor in OpenAI. Leading the Future has raised $125 million since its founding in August 2025, according to a spokesperson for the organization. (Reporting by Courtney Rozen; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)