Anthropic announced on Wednesday that it will donate $20 million to Public First Action, a political organization that advocates for policies aimed at mitigating major risks associated with artificial intelligence, according to a company statement released the same day. The new contribution supplements a $20 million donation the company made to the organization in February.
The company described the payment as part of broader engagement with U.S. policymaking on AI. Anthropic said the donation "cannot be used to influence the election of any candidate for federal, state or local office," in a statement attributed to a company spokesperson.
Public First Action is a tax-exempt political group that, under federal law, is permitted to run issue advertisements that address policy topics rather than explicitly urging votes for particular candidates. The organization also supports two political action committees that provide financial support to individual candidates whose positions align with the group's agenda.
Federal Election Commission records show those committees have made donations to several federal hopefuls, including Republican U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, Democratic U.S. House candidate Brian Poindexter of Ohio, and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, among other candidates for federal office.
The contribution is the latest example of efforts by firms in the artificial intelligence sector to shape U.S. policy as federal authorities consider more oversight of the industry. Several states have already enacted AI-related laws, and additional states are evaluating similar measures, creating a landscape of evolving regulation at both the state and federal levels.
Public First Action was launched late last year by two former members of Congress. Its stated purpose includes countering the influence of another political group, Leading the Future, which generally opposes strict AI regulations. Leading the Future counts among its backers prominent industry figures, including the president of OpenAI and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen. Andreessen's firm, A16Z, is an investor in OpenAI, which is identified as a rival to Anthropic.
Anthropic's additional $20 million donation underscores the growing role that corporate funding plays in the political debate around AI governance. The company framed the contribution as support for mitigating major AI risks, while noting legal constraints on political spending tied to electoral activity.
Clear summary
Anthropic will give Public First Action $20 million in addition to a February donation of the same amount. Public First Action is a tax-exempt political group that backs issue advertising and supports two PACs which have contributed to candidates across party lines, according to Federal Election Commission records. Anthropic stated the donation cannot be used to influence elections.