Silicon Valley’s AI money is flooding California Democrats’ campaign coffers just days before voters head to the polls.
Anthropic, the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence giant, has pumped $900,000 into Democratic Party committees and voter-turnout efforts, according to a Friday disclosure filed with the California secretary of state.
The biggest payday went to the California Democratic Party, which pocketed a whopping $525,000. Another $150,000 went to an independent statewide get-out-the-vote group, while five Democratic organizations in San Francisco, San Mateo, Orange, Fresno and Siskiyou counties each collected $45,000.
The San Francisco check is particularly notable because the local party has spent heavily on competitive state Senate races outside the city. Anthropic’s $45,000 donation was also its only contribution to the local organization this election cycle.
The cash infusion comes as Anthropic’s leadership has made no secret of its support for strict government oversight of AI, including mandatory safety regulations.
CEO Dario Amodei believes advanced AI carries a 10% to 25% chance of causing an existential catastrophe or ending humanity if left completely unregulated.
California Democrats, meanwhile, say the money will help fuel their election efforts, including a campaign against a Trump-backed ballot measure.
Party spokeswoman Robin Swanson told The San Francisco Standard that contributions to the state party “help us elect Democrats up and down the ballot, defeat the Trump-backed Prop. 39, and continue our robust voter-protection programs across the state,”
