AI Tried to Buy the Midterms — Then the Lobby Learned Everyone Hates AI
Facing bipartisan backlash and a decaying reputation, AI super PACs are changing tactics. We tracked their election spending so far. The post AI Tried to Buy the Midterms — Then the Lobby Learned Everyone Hates AI appeared first on The Intercept .
The artificial intelligence industry initially aimed to shape the 2026 midterm elections, with super PAC networks funded by Anthropic and OpenAI executives heavily investing in competitive primaries. However, public outrage over AI's potential threat to jobs and data center expansion led to a significant reduction in spending on congressional races, according to an Intercept analysis based on FEC records and race ratings.
Only 5% of AI super PAC direct expenditures have gone to contested general election races, suggesting the industry recognized the public's growing disdain for AI's influence in politics. While there is still time for a last-minute spending surge, the impact of AI in the 2026 midterm elections may be limited to a single race, a primary in New York that prompted the industry to retreat from the spotlight.
Written by urgent.news from The Intercept's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
