Pro-AI group to spend $100mn on US midterm elections as backlash grows - Financial Times

A pro-artificial intelligence group is planning to spend $100 million on U.S. midterm elections, according to Financial Times reporting. The massive campaign spending reflects the tech industry's effort to shape the political landscape around AI policy as the sector faces growing regulatory scrutiny and public concern. The investment signals that AI advocates view the 2026 midterms as a critical opportunity to elect lawmakers favorable to minimal regulation of the technology. The spending comes amid intensifying backlash from labor groups, civil rights advocates, and some policymakers who warn that AI development is advancing faster than safeguards to protect workers and consumers. The scale of the commitment underscores how central AI regulation has become to the industry's political strategy.