AI tried to bury this politician — now people have actually heard of him
Original reporting by The Verge
The future of AI regulation is being fiercely contested in an unlikely arena: New York’s 12th congressional district primary. Here, AI titans have spent millions to shape the outcome, specifically targeting state assemblyman Alex Bores, author of one of the nation’s first pieces of AI regulatory legislation. Leading the Future, a super PAC funded by OpenAI, Palantir, and a16z executives, launched a multi-million dollar campaign against Bores, hoping to quash his bid for the seat vacated by longtime Representative Jerry Nadler. Their strategy, echoing past successful efforts against other candidates, was simple: outspend and outmaneuver. Yet, in a stunning reversal, this aggressive push didn't defeat Bores; it propelled him.
The Streisand Effect
Instead of smothering his candidacy, the unprecedented attack ads served as an inadvertent, multi-million dollar public relations boost. They introduced the once-obscure lawmaker to voters, elevated AI safety into a central campaign issue, and positioned Bores as a populist champion against powerful tech interests. Now, with an opposing super PAC linked to Anthropic entering the fray, Bores finds himself a front-runner and, as *New York Magazine* recently put it, the "face of Manhattan" and AI regulation. This unlikely outcome underscores the complex, often unpredictable nature of political influence, especially when the stakes are as high as who controls the future of artificial intelligence.
The New York 12th congressional primary, initially a local contest, has thus been transformed into a national spectacle, largely thanks to the very entities that sought to quash Alex Bores’s candidacy. What began as a multi-million-dollar effort by OpenAI-aligned super PACs to silence a proponent of AI regulation has instead backfired, catapulting Bores from relative obscurity to a front-runner and the unexpected face of the AI safety movement. The unintended consequence of this aggressive spending spree is a stark illustration of the Streisand effect in political warfare, turning what was meant to be a deterrent into an invaluable, high-profile platform for Bores’s message. This outcome not only validates the Bores campaign's strategy but also underscores the unpredictable nature of political influence, especially when vast financial resources clash with public sentiment and a compelling narrative.
Implications for Tech Policy
This unforeseen turn of events carries significant implications for the future of AI policy and the tech industry's political engagement. The high-stakes battle over a single House seat demonstrates the deep chasm between powerful tech companies, some seeking minimal regulatory oversight, and those advocating for proactive safety measures. The outcome in NY-12 will serve as a critical case study, potentially shaping how future campaigns navigate the complex interplay of innovation, public interest, and corporate influence. Should Bores prevail, it would signal a potent victory for the nascent AI safety movement, emboldening regulators and potentially prompting a re-evaluation of the tech industry’s confrontational political tactics. Regardless of the immediate electoral result, this primary has irrevocably elevated AI regulation onto the national political agenda, ensuring that the debate over who controls AI's future will only grow more pronounced.