Key facts
- New York's 12th congressional district Democratic primary saw millions spent by AI industry factions.
- Candidate Alex Bores, who advocated for AI safety legislation, was a target of pro-AI PACs.
- Leading the Future PAC spent over $8 million against Bores, while pro-regulation groups spent over $16 million supporting him.
- Bores lost the primary to Michael Lasher, who also supported AI safety measures.
- The race is seen as a test case for AI industry influence in political campaigns.
New York's 12th Congressional District Democratic primary has become a significant battleground for the artificial intelligence industry, with competing factions pouring millions into the race. The contest capped off one of the most expensive races of its kind in the state's history, with over $24 million poured into the Manhattan contest. Much of the spending targeted candidate Alex Bores, a member of the state assembly who sponsored an AI safety bill and subsequently became a lightning rod for the tech industry. Pro-AI political action committees (PACs) put more than $8 million into the race to oppose Bores, according to Tech Influence Watch, while industry groups supporting regulation spent more than $16 million to counter the attacks. Bores ultimately lost to Michael Lasher, who had the backing of the outgoing representative, Jerry Nadler, and deeper ties to the Democratic party establishment. Despite the tech industry's focus on Bores, Lasher also co-sponsored the same AI safety bill and similarly called for big tech to be reined in. The exorbitant amount of tech money shaped the race in a crowded primary that also included Jack Schlossberg and George Conway. The NY-12 race demonstrates how the AI industry is likely to descend upon campaigns this year as November's midterm elections approach, with tech-backed Super PACs amassing hundreds of millions of dollars. Many of the groups that spent money on Bores are well-equipped to replicate their influence campaigns in other races. Leading the Future, which opposed Bores and is funded by OpenAI's president Greg Brockman, venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, has raised over $75 million this year. Public First Action, more supportive of AI regulation, received over $20 million from Anthropic. Individual tech moguls like Elon Musk and Chris Larsen have also funneled money into PACs. The most visible effect of this funding was a flood of often misleading attack ads that put tech and the backlash to AI at the center of the race. The Jobs and Democracy PAC bought an ad in support of Bores that mimicked a genuine news page. Ads against Bores, backed by pro-tech funding, framed him as a hypocrite due to his past work at the surveillance company Palantir. Bores, who claimed to have left Palantir over its work with ICE, sent a cease-and-desist letter to the PAC and alleged false statements. Groups supporting Bores argued the tactics may have also raised his profile and made the debate around AI regulation more prominent. Brad Carson, founder of the Jobs and Democracy PAC, stated that voters want leaders who stand up to big tech. Lasher's victory speech highlighted that candidates must be careful of being seen as too close to an increasingly disliked industry.