AI PACs Have Dumped Nearly $1 Million Into an Obscure Senate Race
TL;DR
South Dakota's reliably Republican Senate seat has an incumbent on the ballot. Even so, PACs tied to AI labs and investors have already spent nearly $1 million on the race, more than the state's actual residents have. It shows how early and how deliberately the AI industry is now putting money into US elections.
Nauti's Take
AI companies wanting a say in politics is legitimate and offers an opportunity to inform regulation with technical expertise. The risk arises when outside money dominates a small race and industry budgets carry more weight than local voters.
Anyone following AI policy should look closely at which PACs are backing which candidates.
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