Anthropic employees bet on midterms

Driving the news: Anthropic is planning to establish AnthroPAC, the company announced on Friday. It will be funded through voluntary employee contributions capped at $5,000 per person annually under federal election law.

• It will be overseen by a bipartisan board and disclose its activity through FEC filings.
• AnthroPAC is expected to support federal candidates in both parties who are involved in AI policy.

Reality check: Corporate PACs are strictly regulated and funded by voluntary contributions from employees. Anthropic, and other companies with these types of PACs, can't directly contribute.

The big picture: The move comes as the company ramps up its D.C. presence amid intensifying fights over AI regulation and its Pentagon contract.

• Anthropic has made a broader push into political spending, including a $20 million donation to a bipartisan advocacy group, Public Action First, focused on AI safeguards and transparency.
• Companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta all operate similar PACs funded by employees.