In a statement released on Thursday, the company said the funds would be directed to Public First Action, a political organisation that opposes federal efforts aimed at limiting states’ ability to enact their own AI regulations. Among the candidates backed by the group is Republican Marsha Blackburn, who is running for governor in Tennessee and previously opposed a congressional effort to prevent 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,” Anthropic said in its statement, framing its political spending as aligned with responsible governance of emerging technologies.
The move comes as the AI industry prepares to play a significant financial role in this year’s U.S. midterm elections. With artificial intelligence reshaping sectors from healthcare to national security, lawmakers at both state and federal levels are weighing how best to regulate the rapidly evolving technology. Several states have already passed AI-related laws, while others are considering new legislative proposals.
Public First Action was launched late last year by two former members of Congress. The group was formed in part to counter Leading the Future, another political organisation that generally opposes strict AI regulation at the state level.
Leading the Future counts prominent figures in the technology industry among its backers, including OpenAI president Greg Brockman and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen. Andreessen’s investment firm, A16Z, is an investor in OpenAI. Since its founding in August 2025, Leading the Future has raised $125 million, according to a spokesperson for the organisation.
Anthropic’s pledge highlights the deepening intersection between artificial intelligence development and public policy, as companies increasingly seek to shape the regulatory frameworks that will govern the future of the industry.