AI Super PACs Spend Record $79 Million in Elections

AI-focused super PACs spent a record $79 million across 68 House and Senate seats during the current election cycle. The spending split between two ideological camps: Leading the Future, which advocated for light regulation and a single national AI standard, and Public First, which pushed for stronger AI safeguards.

Leading the Future received significant funding from Ben Horowitz, Marc Andreessen, and Greg and Anna Brockman, who each contributed $25 million. Despite this investment, the spending proved largely ineffective against a broader Democratic wave. Most Republicans supported by these networks lost their races, including Darline Graham in South Carolina, who represented the industry's largest general-election bet.

Republican wins by Pete Ricketts in Nebraska and Harriet Hageman in Wyoming were notable exceptions. The cycle's most expensive House primary took place in New York's 12th District, where more than $40 million in outside money entered the race before candidate Alex Bores lost.