The artificial intelligence leader Anthropic has officially registered a political action committee (PAC) with the Federal Election Commission, marking an intensified engagement in U.S. politics amid ongoing tensions over AI policy and disagreements with the White House.
Anthropic, headquartered in San Francisco, established its PAC, dubbed AnthroPAC, as a separate segregated fund funded by employee donations, which are capped at $5,000 per contributor, according to a Bloomberg report.
Employee-funded PACs allow companies like Anthropic to gather voluntary contributions from their workforce and allocate these funds to political candidates or committees. Other major tech firms such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have also formed similar PACs. In 2024, the three combined contributed over $2.3 million in political donations to U.S. candidates, with a notable preference for GOP candidates during that election cycle, as reported by OpenSecrets.
This development coincides with escalating tensions between Anthropic and President Donald Trump’s administration regarding military applications of its AI technology. In February, following disagreements over the Pentagon’s use of Anthropic’s Claude AI model, President Trump ordered federal agencies to cease using the company’s technology. Despite the Department of Defense’s demands for removing certain safeguards against mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, Anthropic stood firm.
In March, Anthropic challenged this by filing a lawsuit, arguing that being labeled a national security “supply chain risk” was retaliatory due to its refusal to ease military restrictions on its AI technology. A preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Rita Lin recently blocked enforcement of this designation, citing potential violations of the company’s First Amendment and due process rights.
Although Anthropic has not publicly commented on the formation of the PAC, its timing highlights the significance of artificial intelligence policy as a pivotal issue in Washington leading up to the midterm elections. The move reflects AI developers’ strategies to shape future policy. In February, CNBC reported that Anthropic contributed $20 million in 2026 to Public First Action, supporting initiatives for AI safeguards.
Anthropic did not respond immediately to a comment request from Decrypt.