Key facts
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei donated $1 million to the Public First super PAC.
- Five other Anthropic employees contributed over $2 million to Public First.
- A Google DeepMind employee donated $250,000, and an OpenAI employee donated $5,000 to Public First.
- Public First supported Alex Bores in a New York primary, spending $12 million.
- Leading the Future, an AI industry group backed by OpenAI and Andreessen Horowitz, spent $8 million against Bores.
- Public First Action received $20 million from Anthropic for AI policy education.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has donated $1 million to the Public First super PAC, a group involved in a significant funding battle over AI policy and regulation. This contribution comes as other Anthropic employees and individuals from rival tech firms also made substantial donations to political action committees.
The race for New York Assemblymember Alex Bores' seat, which he narrowly lost in June, served as a proxy battleground for these AI industry factions. Leading the Future, a group backed by OpenAI President Greg Brockman and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, spent $8 million against Bores due to his authorship of a state AI safety law. In response, Public First spent $12 million supporting Bores' campaign.
FEC filings revealed that five other Anthropic employees collectively donated over $2 million to Public First. Additionally, a Google DeepMind employee contributed $250,000, and an OpenAI employee gave $5,000 to the super PAC. Public First is part of an umbrella group, Public First Action, which received $20 million from Anthropic in February, designated for AI policy education.
Despite Bores' loss, Public First believes its strategy shifted public opinion towards stricter AI rules. However, the recent filings suggest Public First may be outgunned financially in future conflicts. While Public First Action has raised $80 million, a portion is restricted from political use. In contrast, Leading the Future has amassed $75 million and still had $31 million on hand at the end of June, with additional funds in affiliated super PACs. The three super PACs associated with Public First Action collectively held $1.8 million.