AI Giants Spend $145M on Midterms, But Not Everyone’s on Board

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AI Is Pouring Millions to Support Candidates Before the Midterms, but Not Everyone Shares the Same View

Like the cryptocurrency world before it, the artificial intelligence industry is now investing heavily in political candidates who support its goals. Major AI companies are predicted to spend millions leading up to the next election, but there’s disagreement among them about which candidates to back.

AI Companies Set To Spend Over $145 Million To Support Candidates In The Upcoming Elections

The artificial intelligence (AI) industry, as large as it has grown, is set to follow the same playbook that crypto executed to bring friendly candidates into Congress.

According to Bloomberg, AI titans like Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman have invested over $50 million to support candidates with a soft-touch regulation stance on AI through a super PAC denominated Leading the Future.

The organization is set to pour over $125 million into congressional picks that favor a “positive, forward-looking agenda for AI innovation,” with the ultimate goal of creating “enduring infrastructure and momentum that ensures AI leadership remains a central focus in U.S. politics to advance good AI policy,” according to its website.

In the same way that Fairshake, the renowned crypto super PAC, the strategy is to stay far from the convoluted issues with AI and steer the conversation towards economic opportunities and immigration, without mentioning the technology at all.

As a crypto investor, I’m watching a new political action committee closely. They’re planning to spend up to $125 million backing candidates who share their views on AI – and it feels like a sign that AI regulation is about to become a much bigger deal, especially considering how much investment has poured into AI over the last three years. What’s interesting is they’re playing both sides – they’ve got separate PACs for both Republicans and Democrats, meaning they’re aiming to influence policy across the political spectrum.

Nonetheless, not everyone in the AI industry favors this view. Anthropic, another AI powerhouse, has recently poured $20 million into Public First, a super PAC launched by Former U.S. Representatives Chris Stewart and Brad Carson.

Public First will promote an agenda that “prioritizes the public interest and promotes transparency and safeguards for industry,” according to its founders. The organization hopes to raise $50 million before midterms, and as Leading the Future, it will have a bipartisan focus.

FAQ

  • What unprecedented strategy is the AI industry adopting in U.S. politics?
    The AI sector is following the crypto industry’s approach by investing in political candidates through the super PAC Leading the Future, supporting pro-AI regulation.

  • As an analyst, I’ve been tracking political spending in the AI space, and the numbers are significant. Key figures like Marc Andreessen and Greg Brockman have already invested over $50 million in candidates who support AI development. Their goal is to reach a total of $125 million in contributions, indicating a strong push to influence policy through political backing.

  • The Leading the Future PAC is mainly focused on encouraging the positive economic benefits of AI. They want to highlight opportunities created by AI, rather than getting bogged down in the technical details or potential challenges.

  • As an analyst following the AI space, I’ve noticed a growing trend of companies getting involved in political advocacy. A prime example is Anthropic, which has put $20 million into Public First, a political action committee. Public First is pushing for policies that prioritize public interest, like transparency and responsible AI development – essentially, safeguards for the industry itself. Anthropic reportedly aims to raise a total of $50 million for this effort before the upcoming midterms, signaling a significant commitment to shaping the political conversation around AI.

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2026-02-14 17:47