OpenAI and Anthropic Hit Record AI Lobbying Spending in Washington

OpenAI and Anthropic collectively spent a record $3.17 million lobbying the U.S. federal government during the second quarter of 2026, reflecting the artificial intelligence industry's escalating efforts to shape policy ahead of the midterm elections and their highly anticipated initial public offerings.

According to federal lobbying disclosures, Anthropic spent $1.97 million from April through June, a 26% increase from the first quarter, while OpenAI spent $1.2 million, up nearly 18%. The two companies reported lobbying on issues including cybersecurity, copyright, cloud computing, and defense procurement.

The spending surge comes as both companies face increasing regulatory scrutiny in Washington. Anthropic's lobbying efforts were particularly focused on export controls, cybersecurity, and AI safety standards following a dramatic episode in June when the Commerce Department forced the company to temporarily disable its latest models over national security concerns.

The company spent much of the quarter working to have the restrictions lifted, which ultimately happened after about two weeks.

"This is no longer about who has the smarter model. This is about who controls the ecosystem—the data, the compute, the distribution, and the customer relationships. That is a much bigger fight." – Anonymous venture capitalist (via Reuters)

While legacy tech and defense companies still outspend the AI firms in total lobbying dollars, OpenAI and Anthropic are rapidly closing the gap. Anthropic's Q2 spending surpassed Nvidia's $1.25 million and approached Oracle's $2 million total.

Both AI companies more than doubled their lobbying expenditures compared to the same quarter last year. The combined spending of the "Magnificent Seven" tech companies—Meta, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, and Tesla—totaled $21.25 million in Q2, roughly flat from the previous quarter.

The influence push extends beyond direct lobbying. Groups tied to OpenAI and Anthropic have spent more than $23 million on midterm messaging tied to individual candidates, according to FEC filings.

Anthropic also contributed $20 million to the Public First Action super PAC, while CEO Dario Amodei personally donated $1 million. This political spending has drawn criticism from some observers, who note that the money devoted to influencing regulation far exceeds what the companies spend on red-teaming and security review of their models.

Key lobbying priorities for the AI industry include:

• AI regulatory framework – Shaping legislation to balance safety requirements with innovation incentives
• Export controls – Influencing rules governing the global distribution of advanced AI models and chips
• Copyright and data policy – Securing favorable terms for training data usage and content licensing
• Defense procurement – Positioning AI companies as key partners for military and national security applications
• Infrastructure investment – Advocating for policies that support data center expansion and energy access

As the AI regulatory landscape continues to evolve, the record lobbying spending signals that the industry's leading players are preparing for a protracted battle over the rules that will govern their technology for years to come.

The outcome of this influence campaign will likely shape not only the competitive dynamics between OpenAI and Anthropic but also the broader trajectory of AI development and deployment in the United States.