The Defense Department’s stunning decision to break ties with artificial intelligence giant Anthropic has thrown another thorny tech policy debate into Congress’ lap.
It comes as dueling parts of the industry and their cash-stuffed super PACs are trying to elect lawmakers in both parties who are friendly to their cause.
For now, the reactions from the Hill on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to cut ties with Anthropic over the company’s concerns about domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons have largely broken along partisan lines, although there are exceptions.
“If you like free markets, you should consider being a [Democrat],” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said on X. The government is “bullying a company for refusing to do mass surveillance of Americans.”
Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) have proposed addressing military use of AI in the National Defense Authorization Act this year.
Industry divide. AI companies are essentially divided into two political camps. There’s Anthropic, which promotes safety regulations for the technology. The other side, which includes the likes of OpenAI, wants a more hands-off approach from government at all levels.
This political split within the industry was highlighted Saturday when the Pentagon quickly turned to OpenAI for classified work after dumping Anthropic.
On the Hill. But the relationship that AI’s warring tribes have with lawmakers is more nuanced than any right-left divide. As we’ve reported, Anthropic has been courting GOP allies and aligned itself with Republicans who’ve broken with the Trump administration on policies like chips exports and blocking state AI laws.
The Anthropic-backed political effort, known as Public First Action, and an affiliated PAC have been spending in favor of both Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s (R-Tenn.) gubernatorial bid, as well Sen. Pete Ricketts’ (R-Neb.) reelection campaign. Some Democrats got a boost as well.
Democrats who go hard at OpenAI for eagerly filling Anthropic’s shoes at the Pentagon could find themselves a target of the industry super PAC network, Leading the Future. Those who stay quiet could receive its largesse.
OpenAI President Greg Brockman is among the big contributors to LTF, which wants less government oversight and has worked to spread its donations to both parties as well.
