Anthropic's AI Regulation Push Sparks Comparison to Sam Bankman-Fried's Cryptocurrency Lobbying Tactics

Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company behind the Claude chatbot, is pushing for greater government regulation of AI. This effort bears similarities to the Washington strategy employed by Sam Bankman-Fried during his time as a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, according to a review of public records. Both Anthropic and Bankman-Fried poured millions of dollars into Washington influence campaigns while publicly arguing that government rules were needed to make their respective industries safer.

Critics in both industries have accused them of using regulation to strengthen their competitive positions. Bankman-Fried's political operation later became part of a criminal case involving illegal campaign contributions, while Anthropic's spending has consisted of disclosed lobbying and advocacy efforts.

Anthropic has been pushing Washington to put guardrails around the fast-moving AI industry, warning that increasingly powerful models could pose serious national security and public safety risks. CEO Dario Amodei has called for mandatory testing and auditing of advanced models, while the company has spent millions lobbying policymakers and backing groups that support tougher AI rules.

Anthropic's pro-safety rhetoric, much like Bankman-Fried's, is backed by large amounts of cash. The firm has spent close to $7 million on lobbying efforts from 2025 through the middle of 2026, per federal disclosures, and has set aside $40 million to Public First Action, a 501(c)(4) tied to the super PAC Public First, which is being spent to advance pro-regulation talking points.