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AI Industry Launches $100M Political Push
The AI sector has launched a coordinated political effort to influence U.S. regulation, following a model long used by the cryptocurrency industry. On August 25, a coalition of leading AI firms and tech investors unveiled the "Leading the Future" platform with funding that has already reached $100 million. The group aims to shape federal and state policy on artificial intelligence through campaign funding, lobbying, and public outreach.
Funding, backers and strategic goals
Leading the Future will support federal and state Super PACs that back candidates with pro-AI agendas and oppose those who do not. The initiative’s backers include major venture firms and founders, such as Andreessen Horowitz, Greg and Anna Brockman, AI company Perplexity, Ron Conway (SV Angel), and Joe Lonsdale (8VC). Funds will be deployed in both primary and general elections to build a sympathetic regulatory landscape for AI development.
Super PACs, policy drafting and lobbying
Beyond electoral spending, the platform will draft policy proposals, lobby lawmakers, and publish scorecards rating legislators on their AI-related votes. The strategy also emphasizes public relations campaigns to improve public perception of AI technologies and shape the media narrative—an approach familiar to crypto and blockchain advocates who have sought favorable regulatory outcomes.
Why this resembles the crypto playbook
The playbook mirrors tactics used by major crypto interests in recent election cycles. For example, Fairshake, one of the largest crypto-aligned Super PACs in 2024, raised north of $200 million from industry names including Andreessen Horowitz, Coinbase, and Ripple to support pro-crypto candidates. That effort helped place more than 250 pro-crypto lawmakers in Congress after the 2024 elections, demonstrating how concentrated political spending and targeted messaging can shift regulatory environments in favor of emerging technologies like blockchain and cryptocurrency.
Implications for AI, crypto and regulators
As AI firms adopt aggressive political strategies, regulators and blockchain stakeholders should expect intensified lobbying battles. The cross-pollination of tactics between AI and crypto underscores how high-stakes technology sectors increasingly rely on political influence, campaign finance, and public relations to shape future policy frameworks.
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