Anthropic is planting a flag in the nation's capital. The AI company confirmed it will open its first Washington, D.C. office this spring, significantly expanding its public policy team. The move comes as the firm navigates a complex relationship with the federal government.

Just days before the announcement, Anthropic filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense, challenging a Pentagon designation that flags its technology as a supply chain risk. This legal clash creates a significant hurdle. The company must now work to regain official trust after a 2025 executive order from President Trump directed federal agencies to halt use of its systems.

The policy team will be led by Sarah Heck, the company's Head of External Affairs, who takes over from co-founder Jack Clark. Clark will now head a newly formed division, the Anthropic Institute, focused on studying the broader implications of advanced AI.

The Institute aims to publicly share research on how powerful AI models might transform labor markets, amplify existing threats, or create new ones. It will consolidate and grow three existing research groups: a team that stress-tests AI systems for risks, a group examining real-world AI applications, and a unit tracking economic effects.

To lead this effort, Anthropic has recruited Matt Botvinick, formerly of Google DeepMind, and Zoë Hitzig, who researched AI's societal impacts at OpenAI. The dual moves—a stronger policy voice in Washington and a dedicated research institute—signal Anthropic's attempt to shape the conversation around AI from multiple angles, even as it contests the government in court.

Source: Engadget