OpenAI’s new lobbying office, dubbed the Workshop, opens in the Gallup Building just blocks from the White House, signaling a push to influence federal AI policy. The space doubles as a lab and showroom, aiming to showcase AI tech to lawmakers.

The launch follows a sharp rise in lobbying spend: OpenAI allocated $1 million in Q1, double last year, while Anthropic’s Washington office opened in April after a tenfold jump to $3 million last year. Both firms lobby for data‑center expansion and unfettered use of copyrighted material.

Washington’s AI lobbying scene now occupies a quarter of the 13,000 federal lobbyists, up from 11% in 2023. Major tech spenders—Meta, Nvidia, Alphabet—combined for $47.8 million last year, a 22% rise. The surge reflects growing state‑level AI bills and a Trump‑era push for federal oversight.

These moves place AI companies at the center of a policy debate that could set the regulatory tone for data‑center costs, intellectual‑property rights, and national‑security implications, directly affecting investors, lawmakers, and the broader tech ecosystem.