In a significant move on Thursday, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to halt certain Biden-era AI policies and programs. This development has intensified the focus on artificial intelligence (AI) regulation, prompting major AI companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere to significantly increase their lobbying efforts at the federal level. Meanwhile, legislative progress in Congress has been slow, leading state legislators to take matters into their own hands.
OpenAI and Anthropic have strategically expanded their teams over the past year to bolster their outreach to policymakers. OpenAI hired political veteran Chris Lehane as its new Vice President of Policy, while Anthropic brought on Rachel Appleton, a former Department of Justice alum, as its first in-house lobbyist. This shift reflects a growing need for AI companies to navigate the complex regulatory landscape effectively.
Despite federal inertia, state lawmakers have been proactive, proposing over 700 laws related to AI. However, Governor Gavin Newsom recently vetoed bill SB 1047, which aimed to impose comprehensive safety and transparency regulations on AI developers. Tennessee, on the other hand, became the first state to protect voice artists from unauthorized AI cloning, highlighting the disparate approaches to AI regulation at the state level.
Lobbying expenditures by AI companies have surged dramatically. OpenAI's lobbying spend soared to $1.76 million last year from $260,000 in 2023. Anthropic more than doubled its expenditure from $280,000 in 2023 to $720,000 last year. Cohere also increased its spending to $230,000 in 2024 from just $70,000 two years ago. Collectively, these companies allocated $2.71 million for their federal lobbying initiatives in 2024.
The number of companies engaged in AI lobbying has also risen sharply. In 2024, 648 companies invested in AI-related lobbying efforts in the U.S., marking a staggering 141% increase compared to the previous year. This trend underscores the heightened importance of influencing public policy as AI technologies continue to evolve rapidly.
Most AI labs have followed suit, spending more on lobbying in 2024 than they did in 2023. This escalation reflects growing concerns about the future direction of AI regulation and the need for companies to safeguard their interests amid shifting political landscapes.
Leave a Reply