AI Regulation Divides Tech Giants, Funds Bores

Politico reports that AI investors have poured over $1 million into a crowded New York City congressional primary to defeat Alex Bores, a Democratic state lawmaker who spearheaded new state rules on the industry. Bores' campaign, however, raised more than $364,000 from people at top AI labs and roughly $420,000 from employees at AI safety groups in the last three months of 2025, amounting to roughly a third of his $2.2 million campaign haul.

Leading the Future, an AI industry PAC, launched a $1 million ad campaign against Bores, with donors including Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI President Greg Brockman, and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale. Conversely, Bores' supporters include employees from Anthropic ($168,500), Alphabet/Google/DeepMind ($58,000), OpenAI ($57,000), Palantir ($33,000), Microsoft ($23,000), and Meta ($16,000), as well as AI safety organizations like Coefficient Giving ($95,000) and Redwood Research ($45,000).

Public First, a super PAC favoring AI regulations, has raised "tens of millions" of dollars and aims for $50 million, indicating a sustained battle over AI policy. This dynamic previews broader political divisions within the AI industry and both major political parties.