In the second quarter of 2026, OpenAI and Anthropic collectively spent $3.17 million on federal lobbying, marking a 23% increase from the previous quarter. Anthropic's spending reached $1.97 million, up 26%, while OpenAI spent $1.2 million, an 18% rise. Their lobbying efforts focused on critical issues such as cybersecurity, copyright, cloud computing, and defense procurement.
This increase in spending positions them closer to established tech giants, with Anthropic surpassing Nvidia's lobbying expenditures and OpenAI nearly matching Nvidia's total. In contrast, traditional tech companies like Meta, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft maintained relatively stable lobbying budgets, with Meta leading at $5.99 million but experiencing a 15% decline.
The defense sector, however, saw a slight decrease in overall lobbying spending, with the largest contractors cutting back compared to the first quarter. This trend indicates a shifting landscape in lobbying efforts, with AI companies becoming more prominent players in influencing federal policy