Mid-term elections: Super PACs linked to OpenAI and Anthropic spent 55.7 million, whilst hardly ever mentioning AI

Of the 95 adverts funded by Leading the Future and Public First Action, only seven mentioned AI and none mentioned data centres; the bulk of the funding went to seats that had already been secured.

According to a count by the New York Times published on September 30, political action committees aligned with OpenAI (Leading the Future, supported by Greg Brockman, Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz) and Anthropic (Public First Action, endowed with at least $20 million by the company) have already committed $55.7 million to the US midterm elections. About 28 million supported 21 Democratic candidates, nearly 19 million 30 Republican candidates.

AI missing from messages

Of the 95 spots reviewed, only seven mention AI or a company in the industry, and none talk about data centers, which have become a subject of local tension. Most of the ads praise candidates on immigration or security. Some $52.6 million was spent on supposedly safe seats, almost exclusively during the primaries — and the endorsed candidates almost always won.

However, the two networks defend opposite lines: the first wants fewer rules on AI, the second more safeguards and transparency. An organization affiliated with Leading the Future has announced ads in favor of data centers in Kansas, Ohio and Wisconsin.