A $100 million AI super PAC backed by Silicon Valley heavyweights just made its first political target famous. Alex Bores, the New York Democrat behind the state's toughest AI safety bill, says Leading the Future's attack campaign is actually helping him raise the profile of AI regulation. The irony isn't lost on anyone - especially Bores himself.
When a $100 million super PAC declares war on you, it usually means your political career is in trouble. Alex Bores thinks it means he's winning. The New York Assembly member and Democratic congressional candidate finds himself in the unprecedented position of being Silicon Valley's first political enemy - and he's practically sending thank-you notes. "I want to thank [the PAC] for their partnership in raising up the issue of how we regulate an incredibly powerful technology," Bores told WIRED with barely contained glee. "I couldn't imagine a better partner this week."
The target on Bores' back traces directly to the RAISE Act, New York's groundbreaking AI safety bill that he coauthored with state Senator Andrew Gounardes. The legislation empowers the state's attorney general to slap civil penalties up to $30 million on AI developers like OpenAI and Google if they fail to publish mandatory safety reports. It passed the state legislature in June and now sits on Governor Kathy Hochul's desk awaiting her signature before year's end.
That timing couldn't be more critical. The bill represents one of the most aggressive state-level attempts to regulate AI developers, arriving just as the Trump administration prepares an executive order designed to gut state AI laws entirely. According to WIRED's reporting, Trump may create a Justice Department unit specifically to litigate against states over AI regulation.
Enter Leading the Future, the recently formed super PAC that's making Bores its inaugural target. Beyond Andreessen Horowitz's backing, the PAC draws funding from OpenAI cofounder Greg Brockman and Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale. Their message to WIRED was crystal clear: Bores has "advanced exactly the type of ideological and politically motivated legislation that would handcuff not only New York's, but the entire country's, ability to lead on AI jobs and innovation."
The PAC promises to "aggressively oppose policymakers and candidates in states across the country" who threaten Americans' ability to benefit from AI, though they won't reveal their next targets. With $100 million in the war chest, Bores quips he hopes "they're not planning to spend all of it on me."
