Key facts
- AI company Anthropic is donating $20 million to Public First Action.
- Public First Action is a political group that advocates for mitigating major AI risks.
- This donation follows a previous $20 million contribution in February.
- The funds are intended for issue advertisements, not direct candidate influence.
- Public First Action was launched by former members of Congress to counter groups opposing strict AI regulations.
AI company Anthropic has announced a $20 million donation to Public First Action, a political organization that advocates for stricter regulation of artificial intelligence. This latest contribution, made on Wednesday, brings Anthropic's total donations to the group to $40 million, following a similar $20 million gift in February.
Public First Action, which describes its mission as "mitigating major AI risks," uses the funds for issue advertisements, as it is a tax-exempt political group. The organization was founded by former members of Congress to counter groups like Leading the Future, which generally opposes stringent AI regulations and is supported by prominent AI industry figures such as OpenAI President Greg Brockman and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen.
The donation underscores the growing efforts by the AI sector to influence U.S. policy as federal and state governments consider increased oversight. Public First Action also supports political action committees that contribute to candidates who align with its agenda, including donations to figures like Republican Senator Pete Ricketts and Democratic House candidate Brian Poindexter.