Anthropic donates $40 million to US AI‑regulation group before midterms

Anthropic, the developer of the Claude AI model, has pledged a total of $40 million to Public First Action, a political advocacy organization that supports stricter regulation of artificial intelligence. The company first contributed $20 million in February and announced an additional $20 million ahead of the United States mid‑term elections in November. Public First Action says the funds are earmarked solely for public education and policy work and cannot be used to support any specific candidate.

The donation comes amid a broader industry clash over AI oversight. Public First Action, backed by Anthropic, advocates for tighter rules and opposes federal attempts to overturn state AI laws, while the rival group Leading the Future, supported by OpenAI and other investors, pushes for a more flexible national framework. Observers have flagged the spending as “dark money,” noting the potential for the sector to shape regulation before the technology is fully understood. Anthropic has previously cited tensions with the U.S. government over the use of its models for defense purposes.