What happened
Nvidia spent $2.2 million, Anthropic $2.1 million, and OpenAI $1.5 million on lobbying between July and September — record quarters for each, federal disclosures show.
Why it matters
The sums are not out of the ordinary versus Microsoft's at least $2 million a quarter since 2021 or Google's regular $3 million-plus, but they signal the three AI firms see policy shaping as critical.
WHO IT HITSPolicy and government affairs teams at AI companies and their Washington lobbyists face a more crowded engagement calendar, while lawmakers drafting AI, export control, and data center energy rules gain more industry input to weigh.
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The record quarters mark a shift in how the three AI firms approach Washington. OpenAI did not spend $1 million on lobbying in a single quarter until this year, and it did not spend more than half a million until the end of 2024. Anthropic's most in a single quarter last year was just over $1 million, and this is the first quarter Nvidia has spent more than $2 million.
The disclosures land in a quarter that leads up to the midterm elections, a period when tech CEOs were already visible in Washington. Many attended a White House lunch with President Donald Trump in late September, which resulted in a 'morally binding' AI safety accord they agreed to. The filings suggest more discussions were happening behind the scenes just before Trump named his AI czar and task force.
Anthropic's detailed list shows the breadth of topics drawing industry attention, from kids' online safety and export controls to data center energy costs. With issues like data center development and AI safety on many voters' minds, AI lobbyists' work will likely only increase regardless of which party controls Congress next year.
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