Silicon Valley’s influence campaign over artificial intelligence has fractured into competing blocs, with pro-deployment groups outspending safety-first rivals $8 million to $6.9 million in general-election congressional races, according to a CNBC analysis of FEC filings. Across the 2026 cycle, the two sides have poured roughly $78.5 million into federal contests, with nearly three-quarters spent in primaries—fueling head-to-head battles from Florida’s 25th District to New York’s 12th. The Leading the Future network, fashioned after crypto’s Fairshake playbook, scored early primary wins but now faces a well-funded counterfrom Anthropic-aligned safety groups. Spending has slowed into November as voter skepticism rises—52% favor pausing advanced AI until Congress acts and 63% oppose nearby data centers—prompting major donors, including Greg and Anna Brockman and Meta, to pull back. The intramural fight threatens to dilute Silicon Valley’s clout even as each camp seeks to shape the next Congress’s approach to AI speed, scope and state-federal authority.
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