OpenAI, Anthropic, and Nvidia Hit Record Lobbying Quarters
Federal disclosures show that Anthropic, OpenAI, and Nvidia each recorded their highest-spending lobbying quarters between July and September, collectively spending nearly $6 million on policy matters.
Radwan AbdulhadiEditor and technology writer
Record Spending by Leading AI Firms
It was a busy summer for AI lobbyists as Anthropic, OpenAI, and Nvidia each recorded their highest-spending lobbying quarter between July and September, according to federal disclosures. Collectively, they spent nearly $6 million around cybersecurity, child safety, and more.
Nvidia spent the most of the group at $2.2 million, followed by Anthropic’s $2.1 million and OpenAI’s $1.5 million. Compared to other Big Tech companies with long-established presences in Washington, the sums are not out of the ordinary, but they signal a clear shift in how important shaping policy has become for these firms.
Washington Engagement Ahead of Midterms
Tech CEOs were visible fixtures in Washington during this period, with many of them attending a White House lunch with President Donald Trump in late September, which resulted in a “morally binding” AI safety accord that they agreed to.
The lobbying disclosures show that even more discussions happened frequently behind the scenes just before Trump named his AI czar and task force. With Democrats expected to win back at least some control in Congress after this year’s midterm elections, AI companies may find it increasingly vital to engage with lawmakers who see cracking down on the industry as a winning issue.
Anthropic's Detailed Policy Focus
Anthropic included a detailed list of bills, executive orders, and other topics it lobbied Congress and the White House about during the third quarter. Among the focal points were AI-related provisions in the Kids Online Safety Act, export control provisions in the AI Overwatch Act, Trump’s executive order renaming AI “Super Intelligence,” and the Ratepayer Protection Act, which aims to place energy costs for data centers onto their developers.
OpenAI and Nvidia Lobbying Priorities
OpenAI’s lobbying appears to reflect a response to fallout from the Hugging Face attack, though its official disclosures list high-level topics. In addition to engaging on copyright, OpenAI lobbied Congress, the White House, the Small Business Administration, and the Commerce and State Departments over cybersecurity evaluations for frontier models, AI safety oversight frameworks, and antitrust protections for information sharing.
Meanwhile, Nvidia lobbied Congress, multiple federal agencies, and White House offices on issues including 6G networks, responsible AI design, competition policy, quantum computing, and export control policy.
Broader Tech Sector Activity
Other major technology companies also scaled up their presence. Apple reported a record-breaking quarter by spending $3.1 million, engaging on issues such as intellectual property, tariffs, kids online safety, competition, and domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
The disclosures underscore how leading AI firms are becoming increasingly active in policymaking during the lead-up to the midterms. With issues like data center development and AI safety remaining prominent on voters' minds, industry lobbying efforts are expected to continue expanding regardless of which political party holds control.
Sources
- The VergeOpenAI, Anthropic, and Nvidia had record lobbying quarters
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