AI regulation shifts are driving the industry; Anthropic’s lobbying spending in the first half of the year exceeds last year’s full-year total

Deep Tide TechFlow message: On July 22, according to the latest federal lobbying disclosure filings, Anthropic’s spending on lobbying in the first half of 2026 has already exceeded its level for all of last year. In the second quarter, Anthropic’s lobbying expenditure was close to $2 million, focusing on issues including export controls, cybersecurity, and AI safety standards. In the first half of this year, Anthropic’s lobbying spending has already surpassed $3.5 million, which is clearly higher than its $3.1 million spending for all of 2025. The company also disclosed that its lobbying topics include Department of Defense procurement, funding support for the Department of Energy’s “Genesis Mission” (Genesis plan), and the use of artificial intelligence in the medical field. Last month, a key turning point occurred in Anthropic’s interactions with the Trump administration. At the time, the U.S. Department of Commerce imposed export controls on the company, which affected its model services and prompted both sides to urgently enter negotiations.

The latest disclosure filings show that all major AI labs are closely monitoring adjustments by the government to AI safety standards and regulatory approaches. OpenAI is also facing government delays in the rollout of its latest models, and it has set a company record for the highest quarterly lobbying spending in its history, with $1.2 million allocated in the second quarter. The lobbying priorities the company disclosed include copyright, cloud computing and infrastructure, cybersecurity, and privacy protection.

Google’s lobbying spending in the second quarter was $3.57 million, while Microsoft’s was $2.69 million. Meta has long been the technology industry’s biggest spender on lobbying, and 2026’s second quarter was no exception, with spending reaching $5.99 million. Meta has also been under scrutiny from members of both parties in the U.S. Congress over what are viewed as insufficient measures to protect children online, and this long-running controversy is coming into conflict with its goal of developing a chatbot business. (Jinshi)