An AI proxy war could reshape Congress — before Congress reshapes AI

Deep Dive Politics An AI proxy war could reshape Congress — before Congress reshapes AI June 22, 20265:00 AM ET By  Shannon Bond ,  Eric McDaniel Scott Kwiatkowski from takes part in a demonstration at the Utah State Capitol to oppose the construction of a data center in the state on May 23, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Support and opposition to artificial intelligence is drawing tens of millions of dollars of spending during the midterm election cycle. Natalie Behring/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Natalie Behring/Getty Images Stay up to date with our Politics newsletter, sent weekly Groups tied to the artificial intelligence industry are flooding money into the midterms in hopes of shaping future AI regulation. Around the country, groups associated with AI and tech are trying to influence elections from Senate races to local offices, even as Americans register increasing discomfort with the technology's ramifications for jobs, energy bills and society. AI-focused super PACs have already spent $43.3 million on congressional races this cycle, according to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that tracks campaign spending. The campaign blitz comes against a backdrop of bipartisan consensus that Congress needs to set more rules governing AI and the powerful companies developing it. Yet efforts to advance federal legislation have so far stalled. Sponsor Message National Worries over water as a giant data center moves into the New Mexico desert The massive spending and heated rhetoric reveal a great deal about the contours of Silicon Valley's political fault lines and competing visions of what the future should look like. "This type of spending really helps shape who is at the table and what perspectives they are bringing into those conversations when new legislation is crafted," said Michael Beckel, director of money in politics reform at Issue One, a bipartisan nonprofit that seeks to reduce the influence of money in politics. "It's rewriting the playbook for...