Assemblymember Alex Bores from Assembly District 73 speaks on the State Capitol Wednesday, May 29, 2025, in Albany New York.
Kena Betancur | AP
A bipartisan super PAC launched by a slew of artificial intelligence leaders has picked its first target: a Democratic congressional candidate who helped lead an effort to put safety measures on the AI industry.
Alex Bores, a New York State Assemblymember, has pushed “ideological and politically motivated legislation” that would “handcuff” the nation’s edge on AI, the heads of the “Leading the Future” PAC said in a statement Monday morning.
Bores, who is running to represent New York’s 12th Congressional District, co-sponsored the RAISE Act, a New York state-level bill that requires the largest AI companies to publish safety protocols for serious misuse use of their tech, such as creating biological weapons or carrying out other criminal activity.
The legislation, short for “Responsible AI Safety and Education,” also forces companies to disclose serious incidents, or else face civil penalties from the state attorney general.
The bill passed in the state assembly and senate months ago, but New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat who has touted AI investments in the Empire State, has yet to sign it into law.
Bores and the bill’s other co-sponsor in the assembly, Andrew Gounardes, maintain that the RAISE Act has been crafted not to stifle innovation in the fast-moving AI sector. A controversial bill in California to erect safety guardrails on AI was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in September amid concerns that it would create a chilling effect on the industry.
Leading the Future, which launched over the summer with more than $100 million in backing, insists that the RAISE Act poses the same threat.
“The RAISE Act is a clear example of the patchwork, uninformed, and bureaucratic state laws that would slow American progress and open the door for China to win the global race for AI leadership,” the PAC’s leaders, political strategists Zac Moffatt and Josh Vlasto, said in their statement.
“America needs one clear and consistent national regulatory framework for AI that strengthens our economy, creates jobs for American workers, supports vibrant communities, and protects users,” they said.
“Bills like the RAISE Act threaten American competitiveness, limit economic growth, leave users exposed to foreign influence and manipulation, and undermine our national security.”
Bores, in a statement to CNBC, fired back: “I am someone with a master’s in computer science, two patents, and nearly a decade working in tech. If they are scared of people who understand their business regulating their business, they are telling on themselves.”
Later Monday morning, Bores turned the super PAC’s attack into a fundraising opportunity for his congressional primary campaign.
“If you don’t want Trump mega-donors writing all tech policy, contribute to help us pushback,” he wrote on X.
Leading the Future is backed by venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, AI search-engine company Perplexity, SV Angel founder Ron Conway and numerous others.
The group touts itself as a bipartisan enterprise; Moffatt is CEO of the Republican-aligned political strategist Targeted Victory, and Vlasto previously worked for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
NBC News in October reported that the AI-friendly Trump administration, which has worked to lower regulatory barriers and expand the industry in the U.S., is frustrated with Leading the Future over its affiliation with Democratic operatives.
Leading the Future in August said it plans to ramp up operations in New York, California, Illinois and Ohio by year’s end, before expanding to a national footprint in 2026.
Next year’s midterm elections will determine which party controls the House of Representatives and Senate, which are both currently led by Republicans.
— CNBC’s Emily Wilkins contributed to this report.
