The rivalry between Silicon Valley’s top artificial intelligence companies has escalated, with both now backing their own political action committees (PACs).
Anthropic, an AI firm founded by ex-OpenAI leaders with a strong focus on safety, announced Thursday its commitment of $20 million to a new super PAC. This move directly counters similar political groups supported by OpenAI’s own executives and investors.
This significant donation sparks a fresh political showdown between the two AI giants, using this year’s midterm elections as their arena. Their core disagreement centers on the need for regulation within the AI industry, particularly concerning safety measures for this powerful technology. Anthropic generally supports candidates advocating for stricter regulations, a stance contrasting with OpenAI’s.
Reports indicated in November that Public First Action, the organization receiving Anthropic’s donation, was discussing funding to balance OpenAI’s growing political influence. OpenAI’s leaders and investors, who generally oppose extensive regulation, support their own super PACs known as Leading the Future.
In a blog post released Thursday, Anthropic, without directly naming its competitor, cautioned that considerable funds have been directed to political entities that resist initiatives for AI safety.
Anthropic emphasized that ‘the AI policy decisions we make in the next few years will impact almost every aspect of public life.’ They stated their intention not to remain passive as these crucial policies take shape.
This financial backing from Anthropic is set to boost efforts to elect federal legislators who advocate for stronger AI regulation, a position that notably clashes with the Trump administration’s approach.
Public First operates as a ‘dark-money’ nonprofit, allowing it to run television ads for candidates without revealing its donors. On Thursday, the group announced it would launch an ad campaign ‘thanking’ Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn, who is campaigning for governor, for her contributions to tech policy.
Additionally, Public First supports two associated super PACs. One of them, Defending Our Values PAC, plans to initiate an ad campaign for Senator Pete Ricketts, a Nebraska Republican seeking re-election in 2026, who has also been a vocal proponent of AI safety.
The Public First initiative emerged as a direct response to the Leading the Future super PACs, which are backed by OpenAI’s leaders and investors. These rival PACs have publicly disclosed raising over $50 million, with roughly half contributed by OpenAI investor Andreessen Horowitz and the other half by the family of Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president and co-founder.
OpenAI, which until recently operated as a traditional nonprofit, has been restricted from making direct political contributions. However, the company has engaged in an assertive policy campaign in Washington for several years, now incorporating an overt political dimension through its affiliated super PACs.
In stark contrast, Anthropic is making a direct contribution under its own name. According to co-founder Jack Clark, the San Francisco-based company had been ‘actively working’ on its super PAC strategy for at least five months as part of its broader engagement in Washington.
Anthropic’s $20 million investment isn’t without its political hazards. While OpenAI has generally received a warm reception from the Trump administration, Anthropic and its CEO, Dario Amodei, have been viewed as a persistent irritant to the White House. High-ranking officials, including David Sacks, the White House’s AI chief, have frequently and publicly criticized Anthropic. In October, Mr. Sacks asserted that the company was encouraging ‘a state regulatory frenzy that is detrimental to the startup ecosystem.’