AI Lobbying Soared in 2024 Amid Growing Regulatory Uncertainty Spending on artificial intelligence (AI) lobbying at the U.S. federal level surged dramatically in 2024 as companies navigated regulatory uncertainty. Data from OpenSecrets shows that 648 companies lobbied on AI issues last year, a 141% increase from the 458 companies in 2023. Tech giants like Microsoft supported initiatives such as the CREATE AI Act, which focuses on benchmarking AI systems developed in the U.S. Meanwhile, organizations like OpenAI backed the Advancement and Reliability Act, aimed at establishing a dedicated government center for AI research. AI-focused companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere, ramped up their lobbying efforts significantly in 2024. OpenAI increased its lobbying budget to $1.76 million from $260,000 in 2023. Similarly, Anthropic more than doubled its expenditures from $280,000 to $720,000, while Cohere boosted its spending from $70,000 to $230,000 during the same period. Both OpenAI and Anthropic also made strategic hires to strengthen their policy outreach. OpenAI appointed political veteran Chris Lehane as its Vice President of Policy, while Anthropic brought on Rachel Appleton, a former Department of Justice official, as its first in-house lobbyist . Collectively, these three companies spent $2.71 million on federal lobbying in 2024, more than four times their combined $610,000 spend in 2023. Although these figures pale in comparison to the tech industry’s overall $61.5 million lobbying expenditure in 2024, they underscore the growing influence of AI labs in shaping policy. A Complex Year for AI Regulation The surge in lobbying coincided with a tumultuous year for U.S. AI policymaking. In the first half of 2024 alone, Congress considered over 90 AI-related bills , according to the Brennan Center, while state legislatures proposed more than 700 AI-focused laws. Federal progress on AI regulation remained sluggish, prompting states to take the lead. Tennessee became the first state to protect voice artists from unauthorized AI cloning. Colorado adopted a tiered, risk-based framework for AI policy, and California enacted multiple AI safety measures, including training disclosure requirements for AI companies. Despite these efforts, no state achieved a regulatory framework as comprehensive as the EU’s AI Act. California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 1047, a bill that sought sweeping safety and transparency requirements for AI developers, after facing pushback from industry groups. Similarly, Texas’ broad TRAIGA (Texas Responsible AI Governance Act) faces an uncertain future as it moves through the state legislature. Federal Deregulation Under the Trump Administration On the federal level, AI regulation took a sharp turn under President Donald Trump, who prioritized deregulation to bolster U.S. dominance in the AI sector. Trump’s first day in office saw the revocation of a Biden-era executive order aimed at mitigating AI risks to consumers, workers, and national security. Additionally, Trump signed an executive order instructing federal agencies to suspend certain Biden-era AI policies, including potential export restrictions on AI models. Industry Calls for Action Amid the uncertainty, industry leaders like Anthropic and OpenAI have continued to push for proactive federal regulation. Anthropic recently warned that the window for addressing AI risks is closing, urging lawmakers to enact targeted regulations within 18 months. OpenAI echoed this sentiment in a policy document, calling for stronger federal action and infrastructure investment to support AI development. As Congress and state lawmakers grapple with the complexities of AI regulation, the path forward remains uncertain. Whether 2025 will see meaningful progress on federal AI policy, or further reliance on state-led initiatives, remains to be seen.
