Anthropic, whose CEO has called for AI regulation, gave $900,000 to California Democrats days before the November 3 election

Anthropic, the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company, gave $900,000 to California Democratic Party committees and voter-turnout efforts days before the Nov. 3 election, according to a disclosure filed with the California secretary of state.

As reported by the New York Post, the largest share, $525,000, went to the California Democratic Party. Another $150,000 went to an independent statewide get-out-the-vote group, while Democratic organizations in San Francisco, San Mateo, Orange, Fresno, and Siskiyou counties each received $45,000.

The $45,000 given to the San Francisco local party was Anthropic’s only contribution to that group this election cycle. That local organization has been spending heavily on competitive state Senate races outside the city.

The company has been vocal about regulating AI

Anthropic’s leadership has publicly called for government regulation of AI, including safety requirements for the most advanced models. Co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei, who has urged AI progress to slow down, has said he believes there is a 10% to 25% chance that advanced AI leads to an “existential catastrophe.”

California Democrats said the money will help fuel their election efforts, including a campaign against a ballot measure backed by President Trump. Party spokeswoman Robin Swanson said the contributions “help us elect Democrats up and down the ballot, defeat the Trump-backed Prop. 39,” and support the party’s voter-protection programs across the state.

Those voter-protection efforts come amid legal battles over California’s elections. The Justice Department has been investigating allegations that as many as 20,000 noncitizens may be registered to vote in the state, while California officials argue the list is unreliable and likely includes many citizens. A state judge and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals have both ruled against federal efforts to set aside those ballots, with the appeals court warning in a 2-1 decision of “potentially catastrophic effects on the entire system.”