AI groups spend $26 million in Manhattan primary to fight over rules

In short: Big money linked to leading AI companies is flooding a Manhattan Democratic primary, testing how much the industry can shape AI regulation.

What's going on

Voters in New York’s 12th congressional district, which includes parts of Manhattan, vote Tuesday in a crowded Democratic primary. The race has become a national spotlight because outside groups have spent more than $26 million on ads, mailers, and texts tied to the debate over how artificial intelligence should be controlled.

At the center is Alex Bores, a 35-year-old New York state assemblyman and former Palantir engineer. Bores helped pass New York’s Raise Act, a state law that pushes AI makers to disclose safety risks. Think of it like requiring a company to post warning labels and share test results before selling a powerful new product.

One major spender is Leading the Future, a “super PAC” (a political group that can raise and spend large sums to influence elections). The group says it has more than $140 million in backing from supporters that include OpenAI president Greg Brockman, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, and the billionaire co-founders of Andreessen Horowitz. It has run attack ads against Bores, although recent ads have focused more on his work history and state record than on AI.

On the other side, groups partly funded by people linked to Anthropic have spent millions supporting Bores. Other pro-Bores efforts include a group launched by crypto investor Chris Larsen called You Can Push Back, which has spent more than $3.3 million.

What to watch

If Bores loses, he has warned it could be used as a message to other lawmakers: try to regulate AI and well-funded groups will spend heavily to defeat you. The result may shape how willing members of Congress are to push for stronger national rules on AI.

Source: Financial Times