By SUZANNE DOWNING
Sept. 18, 2026 – Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company whose employees have become some of the most major financial backers of Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins’ campaign for Alaska governor, has quietly opened a physical laboratory for biological experiments in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The existence of the laboratory was first reported Thursday by Reuters and confirmed by the company, offering another glimpse into the rapidly expanding reach of one of the world’s most powerful, and increasingly politically connected, AI firms.
For Alaskans, the development raises questions about the extraordinary amount of money flowing from the artificial intelligence industry into the campaign of Kreiss-Tomkins, the leading Democrat in the race for governor who has already signed a letter praising President Biden’s Covid policies.
Campaign finance reports show six Anthropic employees contributed a combined $372,000 to Kreiss-Tomkins’ campaign. Overall, donors associated with the artificial intelligence industry have given his campaign more than $521,000 – more than one-quarter of all the money he had raised at the time of the report.
The concentration of contributions from individuals tied to one fast-growing California technology company raises an unavoidable question: What interest might those donors have in the policies of a future Alaska administration?
That question takes on greater importance as Anthropic expands beyond computer software and into biological research, laboratory automation and other areas that could eventually intersect with state regulation, public health policy, energy development, data-center construction and government contracting.
Eric Kauderer-Abrams, Anthropic’s head of life sciences, told Reuters that computer modeling alone is not enough for the company’s biological ambitions.
“We believe that to do biology, the final test is still and will be for a while in real lab work,” Kauderer-Abrams said. “We absolutely are doing that today.”
Anthropic described the San Francisco Bay Area facility as a “wet lab,” meaning it conducts hands-on experiments involving biological materials rather than limiting its research to computer simulations.
A company spokesperson said the facility is “not for drug discovery specifically” but declined to disclose its size, staffing, opening date, biosafety level or the precise nature of the experiments being conducted there.
The laboratory is part of a much larger push by Anthropic into the life sciences. The company has hired biologists, introduced its Claude Science workbench, acquired Coefficient Bio in a deal reportedly valued at about $400 million and developed systems intended to allow AI agents to direct robotic laboratory equipment.
Anthropic has said its objective includes helping researchers develop treatments for rare or neglected diseases. It has also said it intends to remain outside clinical trials so that it does not compete directly with pharmaceutical companies.
The company’s ambitions nevertheless extend well beyond providing a chatbot to scientists. Anthropic is working to connect Claude with physical laboratory hardware, potentially allowing artificial intelligence to design experiments, direct robotic equipment and evaluate results.
Kauderer-Abrams described that effort as being in the “very early innings” and said human oversight remains essential.
Anthropic’s life-sciences division is now reportedly one of the company’s largest areas by both staffing and spending. Its in-house facility supplements experiments conducted through outside laboratories and research partners.
Kreiss-Tomkins has made artificial intelligence policy part of his campaign platform, calling for greater oversight and even a potential pause on certain forms of AI development. That makes the scale of his financial support from AI-industry insiders increasingly relevant.
If elected, Kreiss-Tomkins would oversee an administration with influence over Alaska’s technology policy, state procurement, data infrastructure, health agencies, university partnerships and permits for major energy-intensive developments such as data centers.
Anthropic’s expansion into physical biology research also broadens the potential regulatory footprint of the company and the wider AI industry. What began as a race to build increasingly powerful computer models is moving into laboratories where AI systems could help design proteins, control equipment and conduct biological experiments.
With $372,000 arriving from just six people connected to the company, Alaskans have reason to examine who is financing his campaign, and what those donors may expect from a Kreiss-Tomkins administration in the way of health policy. After all, JKT was one of the founders of a Covid era company that provided bad data that was widely used by political leaders to enact shutdowns, vaccine mandates, and masking.
The money may have originated in California’s technology sector, but the political influence it buys could reach all the way to the Alaska governor’s office.
12 thoughts on “Anthropic opens secretive ‘wet lab’ as company employees pour hundreds of thousands into Kreiss-Tomkins campaign”
And you Republicans are now just getting this figured out? AI research labs in California are all about getting Democrats and Marxists into political office. I’ve been worked with these people for months. We have a great game plan. Ever since Tony Knowles started supporting me, my numbers keep going up. You Republican fools are being laid waste in my dust. Weeks of it. Enjoy yourselves, suckers. LGBTQ is the only way to go.
World History Showed what happened to Civilizations that went the LGBtQ way, there is nothing of them. laid to waste for archeologist to sift through the dirt piecing together what physical evidence is left that a people lived in that area.
The sexual deviance destroys any empire accepting of it. Which if Americans today continue in its sexual promiscuity and sexual deviance we will face the same fate as places as Rome, Persia, Babylon, Cananites, Hittities, Assyria,
We are not the fools, JKT voters are the fools because they lack world history and literacy to know what is all unfolding around them; while they chase unicorn and rainbow illusive dreams and and a utopia that doesn’t exist
Furthermore yes -Maybe JKT-only is right about one thing. The voters of Wilson, Bronson, and Taylor are “being laid to waste in JKt dust” only because the Sheep of the Republican pasture have no leaders to lead how we are All to unify our votes if no two gubnatorial candidates don’t suspend their campaigns, Wilson, Bronson, and Treg if two of them do not the suspend , they are losing their opportunity to show they can lead us by leading us how to uniformly vote by majority so while one is receiving the First place the other two are quietly peeling JKT moderates away his campaign for a candidate less radical. But then not leading a battle plan, us republicans are scrambling in the dirt and creating clouds. Of dust confused how to uniformly vote using the Ranking method that we are being forced into playing instead of voting one candidate.
P.s readers I don’t use Sheep in a derogatory way because We All are sheep and each are being led by Shepard, we each have someone we follow
Homosexual men are very well versed in having safe sex. I get AIDS tested twice a year and no STDs recently. Lots and lots of KY jelly really helps. What’s with you straight folks anyway? Marijuana and hard liquor will help you loosen up. I will advocate young people try out the LGBTQ lifestyle. My administration will be so LGBTQ oriented that I will appoint a special Homo Czar to run our DHSS and the Education Department.
So Jonathan, what do you have to say about biological men in women’s sports? Biological men using women’s bathrooms? Are transexuals really members of the opposite sex of their biological birth? Will you have a quota target for hiring transexuals, lesbians and homosexual men if you become governor? When did you realize that you prefer dating men, not women? Have you officially come out of the closet, or are you waiting to announce after the election?
.
These are legitimate candidate questions. Voters have a right to know. Surely you believe in gay pride, correct? Tell us, Jonathan.
I’m sorry Jonathan,
but I just can’t vote for queer folk. One of my dead relatives would probably have loved to be your campaign manager. They/them were all in for gays and lesbians. Me, not so much. I like straight people better. But these days it doesn’t matter much because I don’t get aroused anymore. I just like staring at my four inch oosik near my computer and remembering the good old days. BTW, if you have any wealthy AI friends in California, tell them to drop me a dime. Donations are drying up again and my supply of gutrot is running low.
Derm The Mutt
Still Snorting and Farting From Alaska.
I’m surprised, cause I always figured Derm got aroused just by hearing the words LGBTQ. And his four inch oosik ain’t much to brag about. But if that’s all he’s got, it might be good enough for a JKT vote.😄
Want to see the end game? Watch any of the Next Generation episodes featuring the Borg. The ultimate technologic-biologic hybrid for complete collective control.
A better analogy would be the blue takeover of Colorado starting 2004. Took a few election cycles. Sadly, they were successful. Cheers –
[…] Anthropic opens secretive ‘wet lab’ as company employees pour hundreds of thousands into Kreiss-… […]
[…] Anthropic opens secretive ‘wet lab’ as company employees pour hundreds of thousands into Kreiss-… […]