AI influence network takes shape as cash piles up

Leading the Future — a pro-AI industry super PAC backed by tech execs and investors pushing rapid AI development and lighter regulation — announced it and its affiliated groups have raised more than $140 million to date.

• In Q1, LTF alone raised $25 million, all from venture capital firm a16z and its co-founders Marc Andreesen and Ben Horowitz.
• LTF reported roughly $51 million cash on hand in its latest filing.

Zoom in: LTF routed $13 million to affiliated groups and super PACs in Q1:

• $5 million each to American Mission PAC and Think Big PAC.
• $3 million to American Mission Florida, a state-level political committee.

Friction point: Candidates on both sides of the aisle are feeling the heat from both well-funded AI groups and voters who are increasingly concerned about AI risks.

• "Americans are worried about rising costs, harms to children, threats to jobs, the spread of deepfakes, and the concentration of power in a handful of technology companies," advocacy organizations wrote on Wednesday to a group of Democrats, urging them to reject support from Leading the Future.

The other side: LTF leaders Zac Moffatt and Josh Vlasto are framing their positions on AI — rapid development and light regulation — as crucial in the race against China and for economic security.

• "We will continue to evaluate and support candidates based on their commitment to advancing a national regulatory framework on AI that creates American jobs and protects the safety of users, families, and communities," they said in a statement.
• The group has had success in various primaries so far, and said it plans to expand to more races in the coming months.

Public First Action — a bipartisan 501(c)(4) nonprofit that advocates for AI safety and transparency — has more than $50 million cash on hand, according to former Rep. Brad Carson (D-Okla.), one of its leaders.

• Anthropic is the group's sole disclosed donor, having given $20 million to the nonprofit earlier this year. Public First Action is not required to publicly report its donors under federal election law.

Public First Action is tied to three super PACs:

The Republican-focused Defending Our Values PAC closed out Q1 with about $1.3 million on hand.

• The group, which spent heavily in House primaries in Texas, also dropped roughly $250,000 backing Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), who faces challengers ahead of next month's primary.
• Defending Our Values PAC reported receiving contributions from a few Anthropic and Adobe employees, ranging from $1,000 to $100,000.

Jobs and Democracy PAC, which backs Democrats, reported about $1 million cash on hand.

• The group has already spent aggressively in a number of House primaries, including roughly $1.6 million backing Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.) and nearly $470,000 supporting Alex Bores in New York.

The bipartisan Public First PAC reported just under $500,000, per its Q1 FEC filing.

• Public First PAC sent $740,000 to Jobs and Democracy PAC and $300,000 to Defending Our Values PAC.

What we're watching: Innovation Council Action, a group backed by White House adviser David Sacks, has plans to use a scorecard assessing how supportive lawmakers are of President Trump's AI agenda to determine who to support and oppose.

• The group is registered as a 501(c)(4) and has different filing requirements than a super PAC, but will be a key player in the elections.

The bottom line: The filings show how AI money is splitting between groups pushing rapid development and those emphasizing transparency and safety.