AI Giants Ramp Up Washington Lobbying Spending Amid Open-Weight Policy Battle

A new lobbying battle is intensifying in Washington D.C. as AI developers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Microsoft spend record sums to influence federal policy. Anthropic, a leading rival to OpenAI, nearly tripled its lobbying expenditure to $3.53 million, highlighting the high stakes in the debate over AI safety, regulation, and innovation.

A central point of contention is whether the U.S. should support "open-weight" AI models. Proponents argue that open models are essential for innovation, security, and giving businesses greater control over their internal systems. Conversely, some developers and policymakers worry that open-weight models could be weaponized by foreign adversaries, leading to calls for stricter licensing and export controls on the underlying technology.

The lobbying surge comes as bipartisan groups in Congress attempt to draft a comprehensive framework for AI oversight. With millions of dollars flowing into the capital, the industry is split between those who want to move fast with open-source development and those who argue that the risks of advanced AI require a more controlled, proprietary approach.