The AI Super PAC Fight That Might Shape the Midterms
An artificial intelligence industry PAC plans to pour over $100 million into this year’s midterm elections in hopes of getting more industry-friendly lawmakers into office, but the path to an AI-friendly Congress might not be an easy one.
Targeting Political Candidates
Its first target is Alex Bores, a Democrat running to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler in New York. Bores, a former Palantir engineer, successfully pushed the RAISE Act, one of the first state-level AI safety laws. If elected to the House, he aims to implement more safety regulations for AI development, chatbots, and data centers.
These views have earned him opposition from Leading the Future, a super PAC network that intends to influence AI policy in Washington. The PAC released an ad targeting Bores over his pro-AI regulation stances late last year.
Spending and Influence
Bores acknowledges that the spending planned by Leading the Future is outsized but unsurprising. He stated, “These are people who want unbridled control over the American workforce or American education system, over our utility bills, over our climate… while $100 million is an insane amount for anyone to be spending, in some sense it’s just a venture capital investment for them, because their returns could be trillions.”
Leading the Future is backed by major donors to President Donald Trump, including Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman. The super PAC aims to replicate the successful influence of the crypto industry in shaping a friendlier Congress.
Countering Public Skepticism
Despite its financial power and influential backers, Leading the Future faces public skepticism towards AI and wealthy pro-regulation donors. Another super PAC, Public First, plans to support candidates who advocate for AI regulation from both parties, pledging $50 million to this cause.
Public First aims to help candidates feel confident in engaging with AI policy discussions, as expressed by spokesperson Carson: “It’s like, ‘You don’t need to fear that the Death Star is gonna show up at your doorstep and destroy you if you even engage the AI policy question.’”
Lessons from the Crypto Industry
Leading the Future is co-led by Josh Vlasto, a former adviser to the crypto-affiliated super PAC Fairshake. In 2024, the crypto industry spent over $130 million in elections, which helped unseat former Senator Sherrod Brown and support pro-crypto candidates.
The AI industry hopes to gain similar ground within Congress. It has secured major concessions from Trump, including executive actions aimed at curbing state-level AI laws and allowing NVIDIA to sell advanced AI chips to China, both significant wins for the industry.
The Road Ahead
However, the AI industry did not secure any significant victories in Congress last year, failing to pass a moratorium on state regulations for AI development. A spokesperson for Leading the Future stated, “We plan to back leaders who will set aside politics to establish a clear, consistent national framework that will help us remain a leader in AI innovation and win the race against China.”
Bores argues that AI regulation does not necessarily impede innovation. He emphasizes the need to address real concerns surrounding AI while ensuring that American voices are heard in shaping this rapidly evolving technology.
The Growing Importance of AI Policy
Bores anticipates that AI policy will become increasingly significant to voters, especially if the technology leads to job losses or other negative impacts. He remarked, “I expected [AI] to get even more salient… it’s affecting every part of people’s lives.”
