Anthropic is expanding its presence in Washington. The artificial intelligence company says its Public Policy team will open its first office in Washington DC this spring. It also announced a new research initiative called the Anthropic Institute.
The announcement comes just days after Anthropic filed a lawsuit against the US government. The company is challenging a Defense Department decision that labeled its technology a supply chain risk. That designation followed an order from President Trump directing federal agencies to stop using Anthropic technology.
At the same time, Anthropic is expanding its policy work. The company says it is tripling the size of its Public Policy team. Many AI companies are now building a presence in Washington to influence future rules around artificial intelligence.
Leadership changes are also part of the shift. Sarah Heck, who joined as Head of External Affairs, will now become Head of Policy. Anthropic co founder Jack Clark will move into a new role as Head of Public Benefit. He will also lead the Anthropic Institute.
The institute will focus on research about advanced AI systems. Anthropic says it plans to study how powerful AI could affect jobs, economies, and global risks.
Several internal research teams will be brought together under the new institute. This includes the Frontier Red Team that stress tests AI systems. It also includes the Societal Impacts team that studies how AI is used in real world settings. Another group will track how AI affects jobs and the broader economy.
Anthropic has also hired new researchers for the project. Matt Botvinick previously served as Senior Director of Research at Google DeepMind. Zoë Hitzig studied the social and economic effects of AI at OpenAI.
The move shows Anthropic is increasing its focus on both research and policy. Governments around the world are beginning to shape rules for advanced AI systems.
