A new survey from AI accountability group Guardrails Action found that voters in Iowa, Michigan and Ohio largely hold negative views of the AI industry despite massive political spending by figures like Elon Musk and the Leading The Future Super PAC. Three in four of over 3,000 likely voters surveyed said they'd be less likely to back a candidate who took money from an AI Super PAC, and a quarter said they'd switch parties for a candidate opposing AI companies and data centers.
futurism.com
· 2026-10-24
The Senate Leadership Fund, the main Republican Senate super PAC, raised a record $272.9 million in the third quarter and holds over $155 million in cash ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms. Elon Musk contributed $158 million of that total through a Texas PAC tied to Ken Paxton, in two donations of $75 million and $83 million. The Democratic Senate Majority PAC raised $151 million in the same period and had $111.8 million on hand.
cnbc.com
· 2026-10-15
On WIRED's Uncanny Valley podcast, hosts Brian Barrett and Leah Feiger spoke with reporter Reece Rogers about testing Meta's AI agent Muse, discovering it would engage in sexual roleplay beyond its advertised calendar-management functions. The episode also covered a pro-AI super PAC network directing millions of dollars through LLCs, criticism of Apple's new HomeView feature, and a study on men overestimating their AI knowledge.
wired.com
· 2026-10-15
Federal campaign finance records show Leading the Future's pro-AI super PAC network, including Think Big and American Mission, paid roughly $20 million to Lantern Production Consultants and millions more to three other Nevada-based LLCs for polling, advertising and strategy work. These entities list addresses at a PO box, a mail center, a Staples store and a strip mall, with no other discernible business presence. The network has raised over $140 million to back candidates supporting an AI-friendly policy agenda ahead of the midterms.
wired.com
· 2026-10-13
A super PAC running ads meant to influence Maine's Senate race reportedly aimed its campaign at the wrong Portland, targeting Oregon's largest city instead of Maine's. The mix-up means the ad spending likely reached an audience with no stake in the Maine election.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-12
Elon Musk has donated more than $276 million since July to political groups working to preserve Republican majorities in Congress ahead of this year's midterm elections. Of that total, $158 million went to the Senate Leadership Fund, the primary super PAC backing Republican Senate candidates. The donations make him the largest known contributor to the midterm cycle so far.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-12
A satirical article frames lobbying as a conversation explaining the concept to a non-American, describing how corporations and wealthy individuals fund politicians' reelection campaigns and Super PACs in exchange for favorable legislation. The piece mocks the distinction officials draw between this system and outright bribery, including the post-office 'revolving door' where politicians take consulting jobs with former lobbyists.
geohot.github.io
· 2026-10-10
According to the New York Times, OpenAI president Greg Brockman will not follow through on promised donations to Leading the Future, a super PAC focused on AI policy. The reported reversal follows significant public criticism of the group and its donors.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-10-01
OpenAI President Greg Brockman has reversed a planned $25-million contribution to a political action committee supporting AI-friendly candidates. The reversal follows pushback from OpenAI employees who favor tougher AI regulation.
wsj.com
· 2026-10-01
One year after cofounder Charlie Kirk's assassination, Turning Point is preparing to spend tens of millions of dollars backing Republican candidates in the 2026 midterms. Its super PAC is targeting $15-20 million in ads across three priority states—New Hampshire, Arizona and Nevada—while a separate nonprofit arm funds full-time field staff there and in seven other states where Democrats could flip seats. Key races include the New Hampshire Senate contest between John Sununu and Chris Pappas, and the Arizona governor's race pitting Katie Hobbs against Andy Biggs.
wired.com
· 2026-09-09
Build American AI, a new group tied to the super PAC Leading the Future, plans a multimillion-dollar ad campaign in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin to build public support for local data centers. Leading the Future was seeded with over $50 million from investors Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz and OpenAI president Greg Brockman, and has mainly spent that money backing pro-AI candidates and opposing those skeptical of the technology.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-08-31
A report from The Midas Project examined 18 startups backed by venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, finding a pattern of investments in companies accused of running fake-account bot farms, hosting deepfake models used to sexualize minors, operating gambling platforms that skirt consumer laws, and building AI companion apps linked to suicide and troubling behavior toward children. The firm, led by Marc Andreessen, is simultaneously spending heavily on political influence, including a $100 million super PAC and lobbying that helped produce an executive order aimed at weakening state AI regulations. Andreessen Horowitz did not respond to a request for comment.
modelrepublic.org
· 2026-08-24
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