AI Super PACs wage $27 million proxy battle over regulation in New York congressional race
10 Sources
[1]
A tech worker-backed PAC is bringing a $5M knife to Big Tech's $100M gunfight
A grassroots movement is forming among everyday tech workers who are demanding their companies develop and deploy AI responsibly. And the Guardrails Alliance, a new super PAC dedicated to supporting AI legislation, aims to leverage that discontent. Democratic operatives Shaunna Thomas and Leah
[2]
The $27 million Al proxy war over Alex Bores ends in a draw
The expensive, $27 million political proxy war between Anthropic and OpenAI came to a draw last night when Alex Bores, a New York state Assemblyman whose popularity surged after being targeted by a pro-AI super PAC, narrowly lost the Democratic primary to represent New York's 12th Congressional
[3]
A New York House primary has become an AI industry family feud with millions in corporate spending
NEW YORK (AP) -- When New York Assemblyman Alex Bores decided to seek a promotion to Congress, the technology industry leapt into his way. Angered by Bores' legislation regulating artificial intelligence, a political group underwritten by investors in OpenAI spent more than $7 million on ads
[4]
The AI Super PACs Trying to Influence the Midterms
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. OpenAI's CEO signed a letter in 2023 acknowledging that AI might cause human beings to go extinct.
[5]
New Super PAC, the Guardrails Alliance, Aims to Rally Tech Workers to Help Limit A.I.
The Guardrails Alliance, which has raised $5 million, is positioning itself as a populist effort that will take on the pro-A.I. interests trying to influence this year's elections. At an internal OpenAI policy meeting last month, employees pressed executives on donations that one of the company's
[6]
New York's primary went from celebrity contest to AI proxy-war. See live election results.
A Democratic primary in an affluent Manhattan House district has drawn national attention for its bold-faced candidates. But the impact of the race is likely more far-reaching on the future of AI, as the contest has become a proxy battle in a much larger war between big-spending tech
[7]
An AI proxy war could reshape Congress -- before Congress reshapes AI
Groups tied to the artificial intelligence industry are flooding money into the midterms in hopes of shaping future AI regulation. Around the country, groups associated with AI and tech are trying to influence elections from Senate races to local offices, even as Americans register increasing
[8]
AI Companies Are Trying to Seize Control of Elections
Can't-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech With trillions of dollars on the line, it should come as no surprise that tech companies are spending gobs of cash on the upcoming US midterm elections. What is surprising is the scale of electoral financing, as certain
[9]
OpenAI's backers spent $7.6 million to destroy a state legislator. Anthropic spent $10 million to rescue him | Fortune
When New York Assemblyman Alex Bores decided to seek a promotion to Congress, the technology industry leapt into his way. Angered by Bores' legislation regulating artificial intelligence, a political group underwritten by investors in OpenAI spent more than $7 million on ads designed to crush the
[10]
'People-powered' super PAC launches to counter AI industry spending
A new political organization launched Thursday to "confront the efforts" of the pro-AI super PAC Leading the Future (LTF), which has poured millions of dollars into congressional primaries across the country. The super PAC, titled Guardrails Alliance, said it will represent parents, unions and
Share
Copy Link
A new tech worker-backed PAC called Guardrails Alliance has emerged to counter Big Tech's political spending on AI regulation. The group raised $5 million to support candidates like Alex Bores, who became the focal point of a $27 million spending war between OpenAI-linked and Anthropic-backed super PACs in New York's 12th Congressional District primary.
Tech Worker-Backed PAC Challenges Big Tech's Political Influence
The Guardrails Alliance, a newly launched super PAC, is positioning itself as a grassroots counterweight to the AI industry's massive political spending machine. Democratic operatives Shaunna Thomas and Leah Hunt-Hendrix unveiled the organization with backing from tech employees, labor unions including the American Federation of Teachers, and groups concerned about responsible AI development
1
5
. With $5 million raised and a goal of reaching $15 million this cycle, the tech worker-backed PAC faces an uphill battle against Leading the Future, which commands over $100 million from Silicon Valley titans including OpenAI President Greg Brockman, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale3
.
Source: NYT
"Our fundamental belief here is that people still do have the power to stop this autocratic takeover of the Trump administration and the tech sector," Thomas told The New York Times
5
. The organization draws support from Chris Hyams, former CEO of Indeed.com, David Farhi, a former OpenAI researcher, and the Working Families Party, signaling growing unease within the tech industry about AI industry political influence5
.The $27 Million New York House Primary Becomes AI Industry Battleground
The AI industry family feud reached its peak in New York's 12th Congressional District, where Alex Bores, a former Palantir employee turned state assemblyman, became the epicenter of unprecedented AI political spending. The race transformed into a proxy battle between AI factions, with AI Super PACs collectively pouring $27.41 million into the contest
2
. Bores, who authored the RAISE Act—one of the nation's most comprehensive AI safety legislation frameworks—drew intense opposition from Leading the Future, which spent $8.15 million attempting to defeat him2
3
.
Source: NPR
Pro-Bores forces responded with overwhelming support. Jobs and Democracy PAC, funded by Anthropic's $20 million donation to Public First, joined Dream NYC (backed by early Anthropic employee Dan Ziegler), You Can Push Back (funded by crypto billionaire Chris Larsen's $3.5 million), and the Guardrails Alliance to spend $19.26 million supporting his candidacy
2
. Despite this financial firepower, Bores narrowly lost to Assemblyman Micah Lasher, 35 percent to 39.1 percent, in what became a bellwether for how midterm elections might unfold on AI regulation issues2
.AI Regulation Debate Splits Silicon Valley
The political spending reveals a fundamental schism within Silicon Valley over how government should approach AI regulation. Leading the Future advocates for minimal state-level intervention, arguing that Congress should establish national standards—a position that aligns with Trump's proposed AI framework, which would nullify state-specific AI rules
3
. The RAISE Act, which Bores championed, requires major AI companies to file reports about safeguards against catastrophic risks that could injure more than 50 people, including scenarios like AI-triggered nuclear meltdowns or engineered viruses3
.Meanwhile, Anthropic has positioned itself as a safety-focused alternative, recently facing Pentagon blacklisting after refusing to remove guardrails from its AI models for mass surveillance and autonomous warfare applications
2
. This corporate feud mirrors broader tensions as tech workers mobilize to demand their companies end contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and challenge what they view as retaliation against responsible AI development1
.Related Stories
What This Means for Future Elections and AI Ethics
The New York race serves as what political strategist Cooper Teboe calls "the final exam" for AI-backed political spending models
4
. AI Super PACs have already deployed $50.1 million across 19 states, with the NY-12 primary representing the most expensive single race, followed by Texas primaries where they spent $4.6 million across seven contests2
. This strategy mirrors the cryptocurrency industry's successful Fairshake playbook from the 2024 cycle, which spent hundreds of millions supporting pro-crypto candidates and achieved significant policy victories4
.
Source: Futurism
Yet AI faces different public sentiment than crypto. While about half of American adults use chatbots like ChatGPT, a March poll showed that a majority of voters believe AI risks outweigh benefits
4
. Recent commencement speeches at universities met with loud boos when speakers mentioned AI's importance, revealing deep skepticism among younger generations4
. Bores himself noted that while he fell short, "the example set here was not the one the AI oligarchs intended. They set out to make people afraid to stand up to them. Instead, they learned just how ready people are to push back"2
.Internal tensions at OpenAI further complicate the landscape. At a recent policy meeting, employees pressed executives on Brockman's donations to Leading the Future, with the session described as tense despite attempts to distance the company from the super PAC's activities
5
. Several OpenAI employees have voiced concerns on social media about Leading the Future's tactics, creating an opening for grassroots organizations like Guardrails Alliance to position themselves as political homes for workers concerned about how the anti-regulation AI tech sector attempts to manipulate elections1
.References
Summarized by
Navi
[3]
[4]
Related Stories
AI industry floods midterm elections with $150 million as battle over regulation intensifies
19 Feb 2026•Policy and Regulation
AI Super PACs Pour $27 Million Into Congressional Primary, But Winner Rejects Their Influence
24 Jun 2026•Policy and Regulation
Super PACs turn AI regulation into a central campaign topic, spending millions in 2026 midterms
12 Feb 2026•Policy and Regulation
Recent Highlights
1
OpenAI Claims AI Math Breakthrough on Navier-Stokes, Sparks Controversy Over Credit and Future of Research
Science and Research
2
Anthropic Researcher Quits, Warns Self-Improving AI Poses Existential Risk to Humanity
Policy and Regulation
3
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Declares AGI Has Arrived With OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra Release
Technology
Recent Highlights
Today's Top Stories
Don’t drown in AI news. We cut through the noise - filtering, ranking and summarizing the most important AI news, breakthroughs and research daily. Follow topics that matter to you and stay ahead.
