Silicon Valley built a machine to replace everyone. Now it's using the machine's money to replace each other.
Leading the Future raised more than $125 million. Donors include OpenAI's Greg Brockman, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Joe Lonsdale and Ron Conway. Perplexity chipped in too, because even the chatbot wanted a seat at the table.
Its mission is a single national AI framework. States should keep their hands off. Federal rules, light and friendly, handed down from the people being regulated.
Across the aisle sits Public First Action. Former Representatives Brad Carson and Chris Stewart run it. One used to be a Democrat, one a Republican. Together they form the last bipartisan friendship in America, funded by Anthropic's $20 million.
Anthropic builds a chatbot called Claude. It also builds a political operation. Both are very polite about taking your job.
Now the fight is personal. In New York's 12th District, Alex Bores wants to replace Jerry Nadler. Bores wrote state AI laws. Leading the Future spent $1.1 million on ads against him. Public First's Democratic arm answered with $450,000 for him.
Here is the funny part. NBC News reported the early ads from both sides barely mention artificial intelligence. Millions of dollars, zero robots. It's the world's most expensive game of charades, and nobody will say the word.
CNBC reports the groups have now backed rival candidates in at least six primaries. The industry that promised one unified future cannot agree on a lunch order.
Retail traders keep asking whether AI is a bubble. Wrong question. The bubble has a PAC. It has a bipartisan wing. It has an attack ad budget.
You bought Nvidia at the top because a podcast guy said "picks and shovels." The people selling the shovels are now suing each other over who gets to regulate the hole.
Pick a side, if you need to feel something. Both of them already own your future, and neither one returns your calls.
Photo by Mariia Berezovsky on Unsplash
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