Senator Josh Hawley urges Republicans to reject pro-AI Super Pac money

In short: Senator Josh Hawley is urging Republicans to stop taking money from pro-AI political groups as the fight over AI rules grows in Washington.

What happened

Missouri senator Josh Hawley, a Republican, told the Financial Times that his party should refuse campaign support from political groups backed by tech founders and big companies. He pointed to Super Pacs, which are political groups that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to help candidates.

Hawley warned that this money comes with strings attached. He said donors want lawmakers to follow the donors’ agenda, including lighter rules for artificial intelligence, or AI (computer systems that can write, talk, and make decisions in ways that can feel human).

The Financial Times reported that several pro-AI Super Pacs have formed in the past year. One of the biggest, Leading the Future, has received $50 million from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and $25 million from OpenAI president Greg Brockman and his wife, and it says it has secured $140 million in total.

Some Democrats have also raised concerns. Senator Bernie Sanders called the pressure from the pro-AI lobby “unacceptable,” and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has urged candidates to reject AI-related donations.

Hawley linked AI regulation to child safety and other costs, including higher electricity demand from running AI systems. He has proposed bills, including one that would ban chatbots for minors.

Why it matters

This debate can shape what rules, if any, will apply to AI tools people use every day. It also raises a basic question about politics, whether large donors can steer laws like a customer steering a waiter’s recommendations.

Source: Financial Times