OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google each spent more on lobbying in Q1 2025 than the entire AI safety research field received in grants - Silicon Canals

"In the first three months of 2025, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google each spent more on federal lobbying efforts than the entire independent AI safety research field received in grant funding during the same period. The companies building the most powerful AI systems on Earth are collectively outspending the people trying to understand whether those systems are safe by a ratio that would be comical if the stakes weren't so high."

"According to federal lobbying disclosures filed with the Senate Office of Public Records, OpenAI spent approximately $2.2 million on lobbying in Q1 2025. Google's parent company Alphabet, which has increasingly focused its lobbying on AI-related policy, disclosed significantly more. Anthropic, the company that has positioned itself as the 'safety-first' AI lab, also ramped up its Washington presence considerably."

"The organizations with the most financial incentive to shape AI regulation are the ones with the loudest voice in the rooms where regulation gets written. The organizations whose entire purpose is to evaluate risks are working on shoestring budgets, often relying on individual philanthropists who may or may not renew their commitments year to year."

In the first quarter of 2025, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google collectively spent more on federal lobbying than independent AI safety research organizations received in total grant funding. OpenAI spent approximately $2.2 million on lobbying, while Alphabet and Anthropic significantly increased their Washington presence. Meanwhile, independent AI safety research organizations received only low single-digit millions in global grant funding, with some estimates even lower when excluding university lab funding affiliated with major companies. This disparity reveals that organizations building the most powerful AI systems have substantially greater influence over policy development than those studying AI safety risks, who often operate on limited budgets dependent on individual philanthropists.

Read at Silicon Canals