AI regulation becomes key battleground for US midterms
Image Igor Omilaev @omilaev via Unsplash
Interest groups campaigning for or against more guardrails for artificial intelligence have amassed a massive war chest to fund candidates in US midterm elections in November that will decide who gets to control Congress.
According to an analysis by the Financial Times, anti-regulation groups Leading the Future and Innovation Council Action plan to spend a total of US$225 million on pro-AI candidates who favour a light touch. They say tightening AI-rules would stifle competition and leave the US lagging behind China.
This excludes US65$ million earmarked by Meta to bankroll candidates in state-level races, where key policy decisions could be made. Meta has previously warned against regulations that pose a threat to innovation and investment in AI.
The largest group in favour of more oversight is Public First Action, which plans to spend US$75 million. Its only disclosed donor is Anthropic, which revealed in February that it had provided US$20 million to the group. This has led to criticism, notably from Leading the Future, that Public First was merely a lobbying arm of Anthropic.
Public First told the FT that its only agenda was to “protect kids, workers and families from AI risks, and elect candidates who support guardrails on AI”. A source close to the group said it received funds from a wide range of donors, pointing to polls that showed concerns about AI were rising in the US, with the majority of Americans favouring stronger regulation.
The anti-regulation groups have strong ties to tech companies close to the Trump administration.
Leading the Future, which raised US$125 million, is backed by several Trump donors in the tech industry. These include the co-founder of Open-AI, Greg Brockman, and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale. Federal Election Commission disclosures have revealed that Brockman and his wife each contributed US$12.5 million to Leading the Future.
Innovation Council Action, backed by Trump advisor David Sacks, was formed days after the White House unveiled its new framework for AI regulation last month. The policy guidelines ask lawmakers not to impose strict guardrails for child safety and content, and seek to block state-level regulations. Innovation Council Action, which will be led by former Trump aide Taylor Budowich, announced it would spend US$100 million on its activities, including a major advocacy drive to support the Trump administration’s new AI policy framework.
