Anthropic donates $20m to political group supporting AI oversight

Anthropic has announced plans to donate $20 million to a US political organisation supporting candidates who favour stronger regulation of the artificial intelligence industry.

In a statement released Thursday, the AI company said it will contribute the funds to Public First Action, a political group that opposes federal efforts to limit states’ ability to pass their own AI regulations. 

Among the candidates backed by the group is Republican Marsha Blackburn, who is running for governor of Tennessee and has previously opposed congressional efforts to block state-level AI laws.

“The companies building AI have a responsibility to help ensure the technology serves the public good, not just their own interests,” Anthropic said in its statement.

The move signals the growing political influence of the AI sector ahead of this year’s US midterm elections. 

As lawmakers debate how to regulate rapidly advancing AI systems, industry leaders and advocacy groups are increasingly investing in campaigns to shape the regulatory landscape.

Public First Action was founded late last year by two former members of Congress. The group was created in part to counter Leading the Future, an organisation that generally opposes strict AI regulation. 

Leading the Future is backed by prominent technology figures, including OpenAI President Greg Brockman and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, whose firm Andreessen Horowitz is an investor in OpenAI.

According to a spokesperson, Leading the Future has raised $125 million since its launch in August 2025.