Wired says pro-AI network had little impact on the midterms
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The Leading the Future super PAC network, funded by Silicon Valley billionaires and opposed to policies that its backers say restrict innovation, ended the midterms with just over $20 million in the bank after starting with about $100 million. Wired says most of its money went to candidates in safe races, while results in more competitive contests indicated little impact on the election.
The network spent about $26 million in the primaries and roughly $10 million in the general election. In New York, it spent millions opposing Alex Bores, who ran on AI safety; he finished second, while Public First, which has significant financial backing from Anthropic, spent $15 million to boost him. Sacha Haworth of the Tech Oversight Project said the strategy aimed to intimidate lawmakers, while Brad Carson of Public First Action called the results a victory for AI safety.
Why it matters · editorial interpretation
The case suggests that heavy political spending by a pro-AI network may have had limited reach in competitive races, while also being used to pressure lawmakers. The New York contest illustrates the clash between groups prioritizing innovation and those emphasizing AI safety.