California · US Congress · White House · CNBC Technology
Before the bill was signed into law, New York Gov
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Kathy Hochul successfully pressed lawmakers to agree to changes to weaken reporting requirements for AI companies and the size of penalties, bringing the New York law more in line with one in California.
Key facts
- Public First Action, which launched last year, has spent $20 million so far, and it announced last month it had raised $80 million through the end of June
- As of the end of June, the two biggest artificial intelligence political action committees have dropped at least $44 million into 40 House and Senate candidates, per a CNBC analysis of Federal
- In the 2024 elections, crypto-backed PAC Fairshake dropped an eye-popping $200 million into elections, supporting pro-crypto candidates on either side of the aisle
- Of the 28 candidates Leading the Future has backed, 25 have won their primaries, two have yet to face their elections and only one, Jesse Jackson Jr., lost
Summary
AI executives and companies are betting that spending millions in the 2026 midterm elections will allow them to influence AI bills being developed in Congress. As of the end of June, the two biggest artificial intelligence political action committees have dropped at least $44 million into 40 House and Senate candidates, per a CNBC analysis of Federal Election Commission data. The spending by the burgeoning AI industry makes it an increasingly powerful player in the Washington influence space. Brad Carson, who heads Public First Action, a nonprofit organization with several PACs, said he's seen more bills introduced and discussion around AI legislation, especially as concerns about the capabilities and risks of powerful AI models like Mythos and Claude Fable have come into the spotlight. "They have a lot of benefits.