Anthropic doubles funding for AI policy fight ahead of elections

Driving the news: Anthropic said its decision to double its donation was driven by increasingly powerful AI models, including its own Mythos model, and the risks they pose.

• Public First Action, a 501(c)(4), is tied to three super PACs that back candidates across the political spectrum who support AI safeguards.
• Anthropic said its donations were made exclusively to support Public First Action's policy mission and can't be used to influence the election of any particular candidate.

What they're saying: "Our donation to Public First Action is one way in which we're trying to raise the salience of this urgent policy debate," the company said in a press release.

The big picture: AI advocacy groups are heading into the midterms with significant cash on hand.

• Leading the Future — a super PAC backed by tech execs and investors pushing rapid AI development and lighter regulation — has massive amounts of cash available leading up to November.
• As AI becomes an increasingly salient election issue, advocacy and public education efforts are ramping up.