Advocates for AI safety and regulation are emerging as a force in U.S. elections, spending nearly $50 million this election cycle on candidates who favor regulation, a new analysis shared exclusively with Axios shows.

Why it matters: The safety spending points to the unusual power dynamics in the AI race, where researchers shape policy and regulation in ways that differ at times from the priorities of the companies where they work.

• The researchers add to the advocacy and giving of an array of AI safety groups that have been well-funded for years, including from Coefficient Giving, a philanthropy with close ties to many top AI executives, especially at Anthropic.

Driving the news: AI safety groups and individual donors have spent $48 million this cycle on Democratic and Republican races, according to new figures shared first with Axios.

• That includes donations from researchers, such as OpenAI's Juan Felipe Cerón Uribe and Redwood's Aryan Bhatt.
• It also includes Guardrails Alliance, a tech-worker-backed AI safety group that has raised $11.7 million between its super PAC and 501(c)(4).

The big picture: Taking AI industry money has grown complicated due to viral warnings of catastrophic AI risk from the very same industry developing it and data center NIMBYism mobilizing communities in blue and red districts alike.

• OpenAI president Greg Brockman pulled a planned second $25 million donation from Leading the Future, a super PAC backed by tech execs and investors, in part because of an internal revolt at OpenAI.

Zoom in: Jacob Eliosoff, who runs the cryptocurrency investment fund Calibrated Markets, said he decided to engage in political giving related to AI after he saw early fundraising and candidate advocacy from Leading the Future.

• Eliosoff, an active participant in New York's effective altruism community, said he didn't want to see a repeat of 2024, when crypto industry funding had outsized influence on the regulatory positions of most candidates.
• "If politicians feel like they can't say anything because there's a very deep-pocketed and ruthless political entity that's going to go after them, that motivates me to step in," Eliosoff said.

Between the lines: Donors told Axios they are not primarily motivated by party affiliation or specific policy positions but by fears that industry spending will silence candidates on an unpopular technology.

The other side: In a statement, Leading the Future said AI regulation will need 60 votes to pass in the Senate, so anyone serious about safety "and harnessing the benefits of AI for all Americans" should focus on building a broad coalition.

What's next: This cycle will be a test of whether candidates who take AI industry money and oppose real regulation lose and whether that is clearly understood as a central factor in their loss, Guardrails Alliance executive director Shaunna Thomas said.

• "Republican leadership and the Trump administration are on the other side of the majority of Americans on AI," Thomas said. "That's a very important place for Democrats to be stepping into — boldly."

The bottom line: Trump allies have opened a new front against Anthropic and safety advocates affiliated with the EA movement, but their political giving — as well as the insistence of AI insiders — shows that the political clout of pro-safety AI advocacy is set to grow.

Apple's big new hardware bet for the AI era is here, and it's a ... smart display?

Why it matters: Cue the time machine and let's head back to 2014, when Amazon's Alexa shocked the tech world and led us to imagine a Jetsons-style home would be ours in the near future.

• It wasn't, but Apple believes it could come soon. The iPhone maker is betting that modern AI can finally make good on that vision, unveiling a slew of new smart home devices yesterday.

Between the lines: While the smart home has largely failed to live up to its promise, modern AI could help address its biggest shortcoming: getting devices to just work without requiring users to become amateur IT experts.

• Apple's new products emphasize easy setup and integration with its existing ecosystem, while AI could help diagnose problems and coordinate devices.
• "The capabilities that AI would bring in helping make sure that these devices can solve their own problems and work together is really interesting to me," Paul Gagnon, a vice president at market research firm Circana, told Axios.

Driving the news: Apple's announcements included a new smart display, a revamped speaker, an updated streaming device and a collection of connected home accessories developed with partners.

• HomeView: Apple's new $299 smart display features a 7-inch screen and an AI-powered Siri that can respond to requests, control connected devices and recognize different household members to deliver personalized information. It will ship next month and comes in two versions, one that can hang on a wall and the other a tabletop device reminiscent of the iMac G4.
• Apple Home Collection: Apple worked with LG and Schneider Electric on smart locks, doorbells, cameras and thermostats designed to work together through Apple's Home app and Siri.

The big picture: The AI hardware race is taking two different paths: making familiar devices substantially smarter and creating entirely new kinds of gadgets.

• Amazon and Google have been incorporating more capabilities into their respective assistants and accompanying smart home products, efforts that were three years in the making.
• Meanwhile, others are betting that the AI era needs all new kinds of highly personal devices. OpenAI is expected to release its first AI device soon, and Meta recently teased plans for Charm, a Tamagotchi-like device meant to bring its Muse assistant to the masses.

Reality check: Apple has a loyal customer base and a history of making complicated technology easier to use. But that doesn't guarantee consumers will spend more on a category that has struggled to generate sustained demand.

• U.S. smart speaker dollar sales fell 9% in 2024 and another 7% in 2025, and smart displays fared poorly as well before rebounding somewhat this year, according to Circana.

Zoom out: Better AI doesn't necessarily mean consumers will rush to buy more smart home devices, particularly when increasingly capable AI assistants are already available on smartphones.

• Apple could benefit from its large installed base of iPhone owners and its ability to simplify setup, but it's unclear whether those advantages will expand what has remained a niche market.

The bottom line: A decade ago, the smart home promised to change how we live. AI may finally make that possible. But Apple still has to convince consumers that the home needs another screen or speaker — not just a smarter phone.

• A former OpenAI employee has been fired and arrested after authorities allege the Saudi national planted an unauthorized listening device inside an executive conference room. (CNBC)
• The Grace Hopper Celebration, an annual conference for women in technology, is canceling this year's event amid lower-than-expected interest from sponsors and attendees. (SFGate)
• Character.AI filed for bankruptcy on Monday; Axios Pro Deals has more details here.

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