Exclusive: Super PACs hunt for the ideal AI candidate
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An AI safeguards advocacy group tied to various super PACs is calling on candidates to make clear where they stand on the technology.
Why it matters: Millions of dollars are up for grabs ahead of the midterms for the politicians that get AI right — and what that means depends on which rival super PAC you ask.
Driving the news: Public First Action is not only looking to identify where candidates are on AI, but also wants to make AI policy a standard campaign topic and not an afterthought, the advocacy group told Axios.
- The group is tied to three independent PACs: one each for Republicans and Democrats and a bipartisan one.
- Candidates for House, Senate, governor, and attorney general will be asked to state their positions in a questionnaire around transparency, protecting kids and workforce impacts.
- The questionnaire also asks candidates for their stances on national security risks, whistleblower protections, and how federal and state policymakers should balance AI governance.
Public First Action on Thursday launched its first ad in Tennessee supporting Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn's Kids Online Safety Act and the TRUMP America AI Act, which seeks to codify the president's call for a national framework in an executive order targeting state AI laws.
- The Republican PAC Defending Our Values launched ads in the Nebraska Senate race backing Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, who advocates for restricting foreign adversaries' access to AI chips.
Catch up quick: Public First Action this week secured the backing of Anthropic and is positioning itself as the organization that supports AI safeguards and strong federal regulation.
The other side: Leading the Future, a PAC focused on getting rid of a patchwork of state-level regulation, has the support of OpenAI's Greg Brockman, a16Z and other industry heavy hitters.
- Leading the Future is funneling $5 million toward Republican Rep. Byron Donalds' run for Florida governor against incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis, who favors regulations focused on protecting consumers against AI harms.
- The PAC is also backing Republican Laurie Buckhout in a North Carolina primary for the House and Democrats Jesse Jackson Jr. and Melissa Bean in Illinois House primaries.
The bottom line: Regardless of where AI falls on voters' priority lists, rival super PACs are getting ready to reward, or punish, candidates based on how they approach the tech.
