Bipartisan AI Backlash Meets $140M Pro-AI Super PAC
SkimNews Take
Public skepticism about AI, currently manifesting in local opposition to data centers, will likely soon translate into demands for regulatory action concerning AI's role in elections.
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- Ipsos polling found more than 60% of both Republicans and Democrats agree the government should regulate AI for economic stability and public safety and that development should slow down, though pollster Alec Tyson says AI 'isn't rising to the top of the list' behind the economy and immigration.
- Data Center Watch reported that opposition has blocked or delayed $64 billion worth of data center development nationwide, with 55% of politicians publicly opposing large projects being Republicans and 45% Democrats.
- Three suspects allegedly attacked Sam Altman's home in two separate incidents over a matter of days, with some social media responses condoning the violence — a backlash the source compares to public reactions after the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO.
- Leading the Future, a super PAC funded primarily by OpenAI president Greg Brockman and tech investors Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, has raised $140 million, while counter-PAC Public First Action holds $50 million on hand — $20 million of it from Anthropic.
- The Alliance for Secure AI has tracked more than 110,000 US job losses attributed to AI, including 30,000 from Oracle alone, with CEO Brendan Steinhauser warning displacement could spread to the legal profession and general administrative roles.
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned AI could eliminate half of entry-level white-collar jobs, while Palantir CEO Alex Karp has said Democratic voters could see their economic power erode while 'working-class, often male voters' benefit.
Why it matters: The $140 million pro-industry super PAC war chest and 60%-plus bipartisan support for regulation mean AI is now a fully funded electoral battleground before voters have elevated it as a top issue. With 110,000 AI-attributed layoffs already tracked, candidates who stake out clear positions now could define the terms before job displacement forces AI into the top tier of voter concern.
