The AI Industry Continues To Boom. A Bipartisan Group Pushing For Strong Regulation Just Raised Over $80M.

Public First Action, a bipartisan advocacy group backing stronger artificial intelligence safeguards, said Tuesday it has raised more than $80 million since its launch, including $20 million over the past 10 days, marking one of the largest fundraising efforts centered on AI policy during the 2026 election cycle.

The organization said the recent influx of donations reflects growing support for candidates who favor AI oversight and regulation. According to Axios, Public First Action argued that the fundraising momentum comes as groups opposing stricter AI regulations have increased political spending in federal and state races.

Public First Action operates as a bipartisan 501(c)(4) nonprofit focused on AI safety, transparency and government oversight. The organization is aligned with three political action committees: Defending Our Values PAC, which supports Republican candidates; Jobs and Democracy PAC, which backs Democrats; and the bipartisan Public First PAC.

Artificial intelligence has become increasingly tied to national security and geopolitical competition. U.S. officials have recently tightened oversight of advanced systems amid concerns that frontier models could be exploited by foreign adversaries, including China. Earlier this month, the U.S. government temporarily restricted exports of Anthropic’s most advanced AI models over concerns they could be diverted to foreign military intelligence before later allowing access for approved U.S. organizations, Reuters noted.

Public First Action also highlighted growing public support for AI safeguards. Co-founder Brad Carson said in a statement that the organization’s fundraising demonstrates backing for elected officials who support AI regulation. Carson said no elected official should feel politically isolated for supporting AI safeguards, adding that voters increasingly favor stronger protections.

Co-founder Chris Stewart said protecting children, safeguarding American workers and preventing advanced AI technology from reaching adversaries such as China are bipartisan priorities.

The latest fundraising builds on financial backing the group received earlier this year. In February, AI company Anthropic donated $20 million to Public First Action, saying it wanted to support political candidates who favor AI regulation.

Anthropic has not contributed additional funding beyond its initial $20 million donation. A person familiar with the matter told the publication that the latest fundraising came from other contributors.

Political spending around artificial intelligence has expanded rapidly ahead of the 2026 elections as competing organizations seek to shape AI policy. Public First Action has emerged as one of the leading groups supporting AI safeguards, while rival organizations have backed candidates advocating lighter regulation of the technology.

The fundraising announcement also comes during a period of heightened focus on AI’s role in national security. U.S. officials have increasingly emphasized safeguards designed to prevent advanced AI capabilities from benefiting strategic competitors, while AI companies continue to face scrutiny over how their most powerful models are developed, deployed and protected, Reuters reported.