Key facts
- OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife donated $25 million to the political group Leading the Future.
- Leading the Future is spending millions to elect candidates who oppose AI regulation.
- The group supports federal legislation to block state-level AI regulations.
- OpenAI stated the donation was made in a personal capacity.
OpenAI President Greg Brockman, who has publicly called for federal AI safety rules, has also financially supported a political group that opposes such regulations. Leading the Future, a political action committee, received a $25 million donation from Brockman and his wife, Anna, and is spending millions to elect candidates who resist restrictions on AI development. This funding strategy has drawn criticism from AI safety advocates who question the sincerity of OpenAI's calls for regulation, suggesting it could be a way to pay lip service while protecting industry profits.
OpenAI stated that the Brockmans' donation was made in a personal capacity. Greg Brockman has previously stated that being pro-AI does not equate to being anti-regulation, but rather being thoughtful. Leading the Future's spokesperson indicated the group seeks congressional champions for a national AI regulatory framework.
Other notable contributors to Leading the Future include Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, who, along with their venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, collectively donated $50 million. The group is backing candidates like Republican Andy Barr, who supports federal pre-emption of state AI laws, and other Republicans who express opposition to "heavy-handed" regulation. In contrast, rival AI company Anthropic has donated to a PAC that opposes federal pre-emption laws.