Silicon Valley Giants Launch $100M Pro-AI Super PAC to Influence Midterm Elections

Silicon Valley is pouring millions into pro-AI PACs to sway midterms | TechCrunch

Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI President Greg Brockman are among the Silicon Valley veterans putting more than $100 million into a network of political-action committees (PACs) that will advocate against strict AI regulations in next year's midterm elections, reports The Wall Street Journal. The new pro-AI super-PAC network dubbed "Leading the Future" aims to use campaign donations and digital ads to advocate for favorable AI regulation and oppose candidates that the group thinks will stifle the industry. Both Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI were part of a push earlier this year to implement a 10-year moratorium on states' rights to create their own AI regulations. The ban was ultimately struck down, but the AI industry continues to fight against a "patchwork of regulations," which they say would slow down innovation and put the U.S. at risk of losing the AI race to China. The group hopes to mirror its approach on pro-crypto super-PAC network Fairshake, which helped cement a victory for Donald Trump. It will generally align with the policies of White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks, per The Journal.

AI Titans Back $100 Million Super PAC to Boost Industry's Status in Washington - Decrypt

Supporters say the effort is needed to secure U.S. leadership in AI and to push back against policies that could slow innovation. A handful of America's most powerful AI companies, investors and tech entrepreneurs announced Monday the creation of a $100 million political spending fund aimed to support candidates "aligned with the pro-AI agenda" in state and federal races over the next two years. Leading the Future shares much DNA with similar political spending operations used by the crypto industry. The AI fund is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, one of the core contributors to Fairshake -- -the $300 million pro-crypto PAC that successfully upended the 2024 election. Both Leading the Future and Fairshake are also helmed by the same political strategist, Josh Vlasto. Other backers of Leading the Future include OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, Silicon Valley venture capitalist Ron Conway, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, and Perplexity. Leading the Future plans to get involved in primary and general elections at both the state and federal level, and will oppose candidates who do not support a "pro-innovation" agenda ensuring the United States' global dominance in AI, the group said. The organization intends to, through a network of super PACs and nonprofits, begin spending this year on state races in California, New York, Illinois, and Ohio -- hotbeds of AI development in the United States. It will then expand to federal races ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. A source familiar with the fund's operations told Decrypt that the success of pro-crypto political spending groups like Fairshake offered a blueprint for AI leaders to now follow. AI and crypto, though, while both emergent tech industries with deep pockets, are two different beasts in the policy arena. Going into 2024, crypto was struggling, with a slew of scandals plummeting the industry to an all-time low level in political salience. A historic political spending spree reversed those fortunes entirely, partly by directing ire squarely at easily identifiable enemies like then-SEC chair Gary Gensler and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). AI, on the other hand, does not currently have its own version of a Gensler or Warren to target. The industry is a firmly ascendant cause in the second Trump administration, and no contingent of the Democratic Party has staked out positions in opposition, as once occurred with crypto. But crypto's remarkable political spending success story didn't just influence election outcomes. It also appears to have put substantial pressure on lawmakers to quickly pass legislation favorable to the industry. Amid hyper-partisan tensions in Washington, Congress passed a major crypto bill at breakneck speed, with crucial support from Fairshake-backed candidates. When asked whether any lawmakers currently in office should be considered "anti-AI" -- or if not, what the purpose of Leading the Future then is, a spokesperson for Andreessen Horowitz referred Decrypt to an X post made this morning by Collin McCune, the venture firm's head of government affairs. "Policymakers in Washington and our state capitals are weighing thousands of proposals right now that could make it impossible to build," McCune said. "The only way to counter entrenched interests and outdated thinking is to make sure builders have a voice at the table."

Silicon Valley AI leaders launch $100M Leading the Future super-PAC - SiliconANGLE

Silicon Valley AI leaders launch $100M Leading the Future super-PAC Silicon Valley artificial intelligence leaders and investors have launched a new super-PAC network focused on AI and advocating against strict AI regulation, with $100 million put towards the effort. A super-PAC is a political action committee that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to advocate for or against candidates. Unlike traditional PACs, it cannot donate directly to candidates or coordinate with their campaigns. The new super-PAC, called Leading the Future, is being backed by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI President Greg Brockman, SV Angel's Ron Conway, 8VC Management's Joe Lonsdale and Perplexity AI Inc. The group will use campaign donations, state-level PACs, a 501(c)(4) arm and digital ads to advocate for pro-AI policies and oppose candidates seen as hostile to the industry. One of its stated goals is to counter calls from "doomer" AI voices in the tech community who want to regulate AI systems before they become too powerful. Instead, Leading the Future says it supports "sensible guardrails" that maintain innovation and keep the U.S. competitive against rivals such as China. Leading the Future is being led by Zac Moffat, the founder and chief executive officer of Targeted Victory LLC and Josh Vlasto, a partner at Bamberger & Vlasto LLC. "There is a vast force out there that's looking to slow down AI deployment, prevent the American worker from benefiting from the U.S. leading in global innovation and job creation and erect a patchwork of regulation," explain Moffat and Vlasto. "This is the ecosystem that is going to be the counterforce going into next year." On its website, the group positions itself as focused on "advancing a positive, forward-looking agenda for AI innovation in Washington, D.C. and across the states," with a long-term aim of creating durable political infrastructure. "The ultimate goal is not just short-term political wins, but the creation of enduring infrastructure and momentum that ensures AI leadership remains a central focus in U.S. politics to advance good AI policy," the site states. According to the Wall Street Journal, Leading the Future is hoping to emulate the success of Fairshare, a cryptocurrency-focused super-PAC network that saw success during the last U.S. election in defeating cryptocurrency skeptics and backing candidates who later helped pass new cryptocurrency-friendly regulations. Notably, Vlasto is a spokesman and strategic media strategist for Fairshare, so he joins Leading the Future with wins under his belt and an established pathway to influence lawmakers and candidates. With a $100 million war chest, the group signals a new level of mobilization by the tech industry as it looks to influence the fast-moving debate over AI regulation ahead of next year's U.S. midterm elections.

Why Andreessen Horowitz and This OpenAI Co-Founder Are Launching AI-Focused Super PACs

Andreessen Horowitz, along with OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman, are throwing their financial might behind a new political influence campaign. Both the VC firm and the executive are involved in a new network of super Political Action Committees dedicated to electing candidates who advocate for policies favorable to artificial intelligence, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Collin McCune, head of legal affairs at Andreessen Horowitz (also known as a16z), announced the group's formation in a social media post on Monday. "AI isn't hype or science fiction -- it's already here," wrote McCune. "This technology can drive the next wave of American growth, create new jobs, and unlock productivity across every sector of the American economy." The super PAC network will be called Leading The Future. Its primary goal is winning in the race against China to develop bleeding-edge AI systems, McCune said. "Make no mistake: this is also a race with China. If we don't have the right policies, we risk ceding the future of AI -- and with it, America's economic strength and national security."

Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI Lead Pro-AI PAC Launch, Invest Millions Ahead Of Midterm Elections: Report - Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG)

In a bid to protect the interests of the tech industry, Silicon Valley is mobilizing substantial funds for political action committees (PACs) and organizations, with a focus on AI policy. Tech Giants Launch Super-PAC To Shape AI Rules Silicon Valley is investing over $100 million in a network of PACs and organizations. The primary goal is to oppose stringent AI regulations, indicating the tech industry's active involvement in the upcoming midterm elections, reported The Wall Street Journal on Monday. Venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI President Greg Brockman are key players in the creation and financing of Leading the Future, a new super-PAC network with a focus on AI. The group's strategy centers on leveraging campaign contributions and digital advertising to promote specific AI policies while pushing back against candidates they see as potential obstacles to the industry's growth. The organization is not advocating for complete deregulation, but rather the establishment of sensible boundaries. Amid concerns about the U.S.-China AI race and the absence of federal AI policies, the group intends to begin operations in New York, California, Illinois, and Ohio, which have been identified as key AI-policy battlegrounds. Supporters of the initiative include AI search engine Perplexity and veteran angel investor Ron Conway, with the campaign scheduled to roll out later this year. SEE ALSO: Peter Schiff Leads Bitcoin 'Obituary' List Ahead Of Warren Buffett And Jamie Dimon: 'At Least I Made The Top...' Winklevoss Twins Donate To Pro-Trump PAC, Google Cuts AI Cost This move comes in the wake of President Trump's AI action plan aimed at making the U.S. a powerhouse in the AI sector in July 2025. The plan was designed to unleash the '4th Industrial Revolution' and win the global AI race. Furthermore, the Winklevoss twins, co-founders of Gemini, donated $21 million in Bitcoin to a new political action committee supporting President Donald Trump's vision of making the U.S. the "world's cryptocurrency capital." Notably, Leading the Future plans to follow in the footsteps of Fairshake, a cryptocurrency-focused super-PAC network that had a significant impact on last year's election results. This new network is among the first of its kind to concentrate on AI policy. Moreover, Google GOOG announced a significant reduction in the prices of its artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud services for federal agencies. This move is expected to make AI technology more accessible and affordable for government agencies. READ MORE: David Sacks, Chamath Palihapitiya Warn Pre-Product AI Founders Against Rejecting Multi-Billion Dollar Acquisition Offers Image via Shutterstock Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. GOOGAlphabet Inc$206.940.11%Stock Score Locked: Want to See it? Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Reveal Full ScoreEdge RankingsMomentum71.71Growth78.12Quality81.12Value50.57Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewMarket News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs