NYT: OpenAI- and Anthropic-aligned super PACs have spent $55.7M on the US midterms, and none of their 95 ads mention data centers
A New York Times analysis published Sept 29, 2026 found that political groups aligned with OpenAI (Leading the Future) and Anthropic (Public First Action) had spent $55.7M on advertising and outreach in the 2026 US midterms. Almost all of it, $52.6M, went into primaries for safe seats. None of the 95 ads it reviewed mentioned data centers, and only some mentioned AI at all.
Key facts
- Total spent so far by OpenAI- and Anthropic-aligned groups: $55.7M (NYT)
- $52.6M spent in safe seats with intense intra-party primaries
- Of 95 ads reviewed, none referred to data centers and only some mentioned AI
- Leading the Future (OpenAI-aligned; backed by Greg and Anna Brockman and Andreessen Horowitz) favors federal preemption of state AI rules; it had raised about $140M (earlier reports)
- Public First Action (Anthropic-aligned; led by Brad Carson) supports some AI safety rules; Anthropic gave it $20M in February 2026 (Axios)
What happened
The NYT tallied spending and ads by the two rival AI super PAC networks ahead of the November 2026 midterms. Both avoid data centers, which are unpopular with voters, and many of their ads do not mention AI at all.
Why it matters
The two leading labs are fighting their policy battle (preemption and light rules versus safety rules) through proxy political spending. The ads' silence on data centers and AI suggests the industry sees its own issues as a political liability, as polls show voters souring on AI.
Unverified: the NYT interactive could not be read directly in this run. The figures come from the Techmeme summary and secondary reports. The Leading the Future and Public First details come from earlier reporting.
Changelog
- 2026-09-30: created (quick run on Techmeme Sept 30)
Related events
- Trump signs executive order 'Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence', ordering federal agencies to replace 'AI' with 'Super Intelligence (SI)' ★★★
- Trump hosts AI CEOs at the White House; they sign a voluntary 'morally binding' Accord on Superintelligence, and Trump rejects new federal AI rules ★★★★
- NYT: Meta cut billions from its federal taxes by treating AI data centers as 'experimental' research facilities ★★
Sources (5)
- pressNew York Times: AI super PAC money in the midterm elections
- discussionTechmeme summary
- pressAxios: Anthropic pours $20 million into AI policy fight
- pressNPR: Groups tied to OpenAI and Anthropic are spending big on the midterms
- pressTechCrunch: A group funded by Andreessen Horowitz and Brockman plans data center ads to sway midterms
id: 2026-09-29-nyt-ai-super-pacs-55-7m-midterms · updated 2026-09-30 · open in the interactive timeline