Anthropic Donates $20M for Stricter AI Regulations

Anthropic, the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company focused on safety, announced a $20 million donation on Thursday to Public First Action, a nonprofit political advocacy group supporting candidates who favor stricter regulations on AI development. The contribution marks Anthropic's first known foray into political spending and positions it directly against efforts by rival OpenAI to influence elections with a lighter regulatory approach.

The donation aims to bolster candidates advocating for AI safeguards, including transparency requirements for AI systems, export controls on advanced chips, and federal standards that preserve state-level authority over the technology. Public First Action, which does not disclose donors, funds affiliated super PACs targeting both Republican and Democratic races. In its initial moves, the group launched ad campaigns supporting Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee in her gubernatorial bid and Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska in his reelection campaign. The ads for Blackburn emphasize her past work on children's online safety legislation, while those for Ricketts highlight his backing of measures to restrict AI chip...