AI's biggest 2026 election fight

OpenAI and Anthropic are raising enormous sums of campaign cash and mobilizing to leave a mark on the November midterm elections

 Ludovic MARIN / AFP via Getty Images

A version of this article originally appeared in Quartz’s Washington newsletter. Sign up here to get the latest business and economic news and insights from Washington straight to your inbox.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei drew unexpected attention last week at a global AI summit in India. Their body language spoke louder than words ever could.

What was meant to be a photo-op demonstrating unity with hands held high ended with two of the most powerful chief executives in Big Tech clenching their fists instead. Now, the simmering feud between Altman and Amodei is extending to the 2026 campaign trail and beyond.

OpenAI and Anthropic are raising enormous sums of campaign cash and mobilizing to leave a mark on the November midterm elections. Super PACs with ties to AI firms began sprouting last year as lawmakers showed interest in regulating the fast-evolving sector. 

What’s emerging lately is the AI industry’s first true Washington spending war: rival labs, their investors, and aligned advocacy groups are beginning to treat AI regulation not just as a fight over policy but as an electoral battleground — one where campaign dollars could shape which party controls Congress and how aggressively lawmakers move to police the technology.

On Monday,........

© Quartz