Key facts
- The NY-12 Democratic primary in New York City has become a central battleground for AI industry influence.
- AI-focused Super PACs have spent approximately $44 million of their $100 million war chests on congressional races.
- Nearly half of all AI Super PAC spending has been directed towards the NY-12 primary.
- Leading the Future, backed by tech billionaires and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, supports candidates advocating for a federal AI regulatory framework.
- Public First, funded in part by Anthropic, supports candidates advocating for stronger AI safeguards.
- Alex Bores, a candidate in the NY-12 primary, is a focus of industry spending due to his sponsorship of the Raise Act.
New York City's 12th Congressional District Democratic primary has become a focal point for the artificial intelligence industry's efforts to shape future legislation, with significant spending from opposing Super PACs. The race has been dubbed an 'AI civil war' due to the intense financial backing and competing messages surrounding AI regulation.
AI-focused Super PACs have collectively raised approximately $100 million this cycle, with nearly half of that spending concentrated on the NY-12 primary. The Super PAC Leading the Future, funded by venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, has spent $8.2 million to support Democratic assemblymember Alex Bores. This group advocates for a federal AI regulatory framework, warning that a patchwork of state laws could cede the AI race to China.
In response, other Super PACs, including You Can Push Back funded by crypto billionaire Chris Larsen, and Jobs and Democracy, a subsidiary of Public First, have launched counter-campaigns. Public First, which has received a $20 million contribution from the AI company Anthropic and an additional $45 million from various industries, is pushing for stronger AI safeguards. These PACs have spent $11 million to counter Leading the Future's messaging, framing the race as a fight against 'rightwing billionaires' attempting to buy the seat and influence AI policy.
Alex Bores, who previously sponsored the Raise Act requiring AI developers to publish safety plans, finds himself at the center of this proxy battle. His campaign has framed the primary as a referendum on whether AI can be regulated at all. Polls suggest Bores is in a tight race with fellow assemblymember Micah Lasher, who also supports AI guardrails and curbing Big Tech's influence. The intense industry spending has, according to one observer, turned Bores into a 'national star'.
Beyond the NY-12 race, Public First has also supported other candidates advocating for AI advancement and legislation, including Republican congresswoman Celeste Maloy, Texas candidate Carlos De La Cruz, and Oklahoma congressman Kevin Hern. They have also invested in Representatives Valerie Foushee and Josh Gottheimer, who co-chair the House Democratic Commission on AI. The playbook appears similar to that of the crypto industry's 2024 lobbying efforts, though research suggests AI is less politically popular among voters, with a majority believing it is advancing too quickly.
On Thursday, another AI-focused Super PAC, Guardrails Alliance, launched with the explicit goal of countering Leading the Future. Its backers include labor unions and former Indeed CEO Chris Hyams.