Ex-Manny Yekutiel spokesman now works at Anthropic, another S.F. political staffer at an AI giant

A growing number of San Francisco political operatives are transitioning to roles within major artificial intelligence firms like Anthropic and OpenAI. Among them are Connor Skelly, a former political spokesman now working on "special projects" at Anthropic, and Michael Lai, a failed supervisor candidate, whose role at Anthropic involves helping government agencies understand and integrate its AI product, Claude. Other former city workers have taken on positions such as leading global AI policy or reporting to C-suite executives.

Political strategists suggest that San Francisco's unique environment cultivates a specific type of political mind well-suited for navigating government relations. AI companies reportedly value local political knowledge and relationships that can extend to state connections. This is particularly relevant given past challenges for companies like OpenAI in securing local benefits such as tax breaks at City Hall.

Financial incentives also contribute to this trend, with reported salaries for certain government-facing roles ranging from $200,000 to $400,000. These positions often involve demonstrating the value of AI products, like Claude, to state and local government agencies. This indicates a strategic emphasis by AI companies on policy engagement and government outreach, complementing their technical development efforts.