OpenAI and Anthropic, the two leading AI laboratories, have opened dedicated offices in Washington and collectively spent $3.17 million on federal lobbying in Q2 2026, a 23% increase from the previous quarter. Anthropic alone spent $1.97 million, surpassing even Nvidia’s lobbying expenditure for the same period. The two companies are pursuing distinct strategies: OpenAI advocates for « reverse federalism » aiming for national convergence from the bottom up, while Anthropic takes an aggressive regulatory stance in favor of stringent safety standards, having endorsed California’s AI law and donated $20 million to Public First Action. These moves come as both companies are reportedly preparing for potential IPOs, with regulatory uncertainty being a key concern for institutional investors.
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