AI industry leaders and companies are spending millions to influence who gets elected in the US midterms and potentially, how artificial intelligence gets regulated. But strangely the political ads they are paying for don’t appear to mention AI at all.
Bellingcat
A Bellingcat analysis of video ads purchased by the two largest AI-backed Super PACS has revealed that their political advertisements rarely ever mention their stances on AI, despite the advertisements being paid for by issue-specific PACs. bellingcat.com/news/2026/11/02/ai-super-pacs…
Nov 3, 2026 at 1:31 PM
The AI influence network's power players
Millions of dollars are pouring into state and federal races specifically around AI.
Key Congress staffers in AI debate are funded by tech giants like Google and Microsoft
Big tech companies are funneling money through a science nonprofit to help pay the salaries of AI staffers in Congress — and it’s just one example of the increasing influence outside-funded fellows are exerting on tech policy in Washington.
AI is probably not a bubble
AI companies have revenue, demand, and paths to immense value
AI is probably not a bubble
AI companies have revenue, demand, and paths to immense value
How America's AI Trust Issues Could Impact the Midterms
Most American voters "don't trust the leaders of AI companies to make decisions in society's best interests," writes Will Johnson.
AI backlash is coming for elections
Americans are worried about AI — but how it will play into the midterms is less clear.
How Americans see AI impacting human skills; its role in science, matchmaking, religion and more
Majorities don’t want AI to give advice about religion or love. But many say AI should help forecast weather, search for financial crimes, develop medicine and more.
Meredith Whittaker on Twitter / X
Now that even Goldman, Sequoia, and other major investors are calling it, it's good to remember that the shakiness of the AI market, and the mismatch between capex and ROI, has been clear for a long time to those of us who look closely at the political economy of AI. https://t.co/dLLNAcW5Sn— Meredith Whittaker (@mer__edith) July 30, 2024
Companies Are Throttling Employees’ AI Use Because It’s Too Expensive
Sources and leaks from Amazon, Adobe, Atlassian, Citi, and more show what is really happening with AI right now: companies are trying to rein in AI use as costs spiral out of control.
Your Online Public Engagement is Under Attack from AI
In Los Angeles and elsewhere, AI agents are diluting communities' voices and influencing how decision-makers vote.
The LA Times’ Political Rating “AI” Is A Silly Joke Aimed At Validating Wealthy Media Ownership’s Inherent Bias
Late last year we wrote about how LA Times billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong confidently announced that he was going to use AI to display “artificial intelligence-generated ratings”…
AI Industry Super PAC Enters Midterm Elections With a $70 Million War Chest
The Leading the Future super PAC and its affiliates are attempting to steer AI regulations in their favor.
Study maps how ‘Big AI’ influences AI laws and oversight — Centre for Technomoral Futures
AI companies influence policy and regulation using similar techniques to Big Tobacco, Big Pharma and Big Oil, according to a new study by colleagues at University of Edinburgh, Trinity College Dublin, TU Delft and Carnegie Mellon University.
Bosses Are Blowing More Money on AI Agents Than It'd Cost Them to Just Pay Human Workers
Some organizings are finding themselves spending more on AI token fees than they do paying human salaries.
