AI-focused super PACs spend about $27.8 million on NY-12 primary

In short: AI-focused political groups spent about $27.8 million to influence New York’s 12th Congressional District Democratic primary.

What happened

Voters in New York’s 12th Congressional District, which includes parts of Manhattan, are choosing a Democratic nominee for an open US House seat. The Verge reports that groups tied to the tech industry, including AI-focused super PACs, spent about $27.83 million around this single primary.

A super PAC is a political group that can raise and spend large amounts of money to support or oppose candidates, as long as it is not officially coordinating with a campaign. In practice, this money often shows up as a flood of ads, mailers, and online messages (like a very expensive megaphone pointed at voters).

The Verge notes that the race has also included claims about online manipulation. Jack Schlossberg, a candidate in the race, posted on X suggesting he was being targeted by bots and fake accounts promoting his opponent, New York State Assemblymember Alex Bores. Bots are automated accounts that can post and interact like people, which can make a message look more popular than it really is.

Why it matters

This is a local primary, but the spending is at a national scale. If large sums from corporate-linked AI groups can shape the outcome here, it could become a model for how tech money tries to steer other elections, including races that decide future rules for AI.

Source: The Verge AI