AI political groups post mixed results in US midterms

Leading the Future, whose political spending campaign sought to block tighter US AI restrictions, recorded mixed results in Tuesday's midterm elections, according to TechCrunch. American Mission, its Republican spending arm, and another AI-focused PAC, Building the Future, together spent $4.8 million supporting South Carolina Senate candidate Darline Graham, who lost.

American Mission also spent more than $500,000 each supporting Republican House candidates Aaron Flint in Montana and Laurie Buckhout in North Carolina, both of whom lost. Leading the Future's Democratic arm, Think Big, backed Florida Representative Jared Moskowitz, who won reelection.

Public First, which is backed by Anthropic, had more success supporting Democrats than Republicans. It contributed $3 million to a PAC supporting California state Senator Scott Wiener, who was leading his race at publication. Guardrails Alliance spent more than $1 million each opposing Flint and California Representative Jimmy Gomez, who both lost. It also spent $300,000 supporting Angela Gonzales Torres, who defeated Gomez.

Leading the Future spent $27.38 million during the primaries and plans to continue spending in the 2028 elections. The group favors a single national AI framework. The main dispute among AI-focused PACs is whether Congress should set a national framework that overrides state laws or leave states able to impose their own safeguards, and Guardrails Alliance says it will keep opposing candidates backed by the AI industry.