In the U.S., leading AI companies have dramatically increased lobbying in Washington, aiming to shape data‑centre and model‑release policy. OpenAI nearly doubled its federal spend to a record $2.22 m in H1 2026, while Anthropic tripled its bill to $3.53 m. Google and Microsoft also reached quarterly highs since 2020. The push comes as the sector faces political battles on multiple fronts, building a permanent influence operation. Key priorities include federal rules on new model releases, power for massive data centres, and whether developers must publish underlying parameters.

Beyond lobbying, China’s chipmaker CXMT saw shares soar 500 % on debut, reflecting booming AI‑memory demand. Meanwhile, global oil prices fell over 5 % after U.S.–Iran tensions eased, and Brussels is exploring faster sanctions on Russia.

The tech‑industry’s lobbying surge underscores how AI firms seek to pre‑empt regulation while securing favourable infrastructure conditions, a trend that could reshape the sector’s future.