The tools track 17 Big Tech-funded super PACs that have spent over $65 million influencing federal and state elections across the country

Findings show leading AI super PAC spending 2-to-1 against Democrats at federal level

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, The Tech Oversight Project launched first-of-its-kind public-access tools to document the out-of-control influence from AI super PACs, which have already spent over $65 million influencing federal and state elections across the country. The research book and digital ad library monitors 17 different industry-funded dark money organizations, which are powered by Google, Meta, OpenAI, Palantir, a16z, and Anthropic. The ad library, launching with over 100 cataloged ads, and the research book are the only publicly available tools that provide journalists, researchers, and voters with insight and background on AI super PACs, the executives funding them, and how they are spending to influence the 2026 midterm elections.

“Big Tech’s AI super PACs are spending a gargantuan amount of money on our elections because they want to write the rules in their favor. If the American people had their way, Big Tech would be footing the true cost of data centers, chatbots would have guardrails to protect vulnerable people of all ages, and workers would have the choice to use artificial intelligence instead of being surveilled and eventually replaced by it. Instead, a handful of powerful companies, like OpenAI, Meta, Google, Palantir, and Andreessen Horowitz, are hellbent on making sure the public is locked out of the halls of Congress and all 50 statehouses,” said Sacha Haworth, Executive Director of The Tech Oversight Project. “We cannot sit idly by and let Big Tech CEOs distort our democracy. Voters deserve to know who is backing the shady ad campaigns in their communities and why they are spending so much to usher in pro-industry stooges, so with these tools we are putting more information in the hands of voters, researchers, and journalists so that we can all beat back this toxic influence together.”

This research project tracks these organizations powered by Big Tech’s dark money:

• Leading the Future (Super PAC, Backed by Palantir, OpenAI, Proplexity, and a16z)
• Think Big (Super PAC, Backed by Palantir, OpenAI, Proplexity, and a16z)
• American Mission (Super PAC, Backed by Palantir, OpenAI, Proplexity, and a16z)
• Build American AI (C4, Backed by Palantir, OpenAI, Proplexity, and a16z)
• Public First (Super PAC, Backed by Anthropic)
• Public First Action (C4, Backed by Anthropic)
• Jobs and Democracy (Super PAC, Backed by Anthropic)
• Defending Our Values (Super PAC, Backed by Anthropic)
• AnthroPAC (Corporate PAC, Backed by Anthropic)
• American Technology Excellence Project (State PAC, Backed by Meta)
• Making Our Tomorrow (State PAC, Backed by Meta)
• Forge the Future Project (State PAC, Backed by Meta)
• Mobilizing Economic Transformation Across (META) PAC (Super PAC, Backed by Meta)
• California Leads (Super PAC, Backed by Google and Meta)
• Innovation Council Action (C4, Backed by David Sacks)
• Building America’s Future (C4, Backed by Elon Musk)

While the research book captures all publicly disclosed spending from Big Tech’s dark money groups, we will never be able to capture the true amount of spending from C4s or the identity of every company or individual giving to those C4 organizations.

One of the ways Big Tech has recently bent both ethical standards and the law was by funneling money to influencers who push pro-AI industry talking points to their followers for $5,000 a post. This scheme was funded by Leading the Future’s C4 partner, Build American AI, and exploits existing laws that do not require influencers to disclose political advertising in the same way TV, radio, or digital advertisers must.

Research Book Key Findings:

• To date, two-thirds of Leading the Future’s federal spending has been used to prop up Republicans and attack Democrats running for office.
• In Leading the Future’s efforts to build a small cadre of loyalists, the super PAC has spent over $4.76 million on ads for Democratic incumbents running in safe districts without serious primary or general election challengers.
• On the Republican side, Leading the Future’s spending strategy has closely mirrored Donald Trump’s political operation, with the super PAC dropping cash on Aaron Flint (MT-1), Andy Barr (KY-Sen), Houston Gaines (GA-10), Clay Fuller (GA-14), Laurie Buckhout (NC-01), Jessica Steinmann (TX-08), Chris Gober (TX-10), and Jace Yarbrough (TX-32).
• • In the case of Rep. Andy Barr’s Senate race to replace outgoing Senator Mitch McConnell, Leading the Future began spending mere days after Trump’s endorsement, possibly signaling coordination.
• With a third of the Congressional Black Caucus under threat of losing their seats from Republican redistricting, Leading the Future is piling on by spending over $500,000 against sitting Rep. Don Davis (D-NC), also a DCCC frontline incumbent.
• American Mission has spent $5.9 million on House races and $2.46 million on Senate races – the vast majority of it supporting Trump-backed candidates in open races.
• At the federal level, the pro-AI safety super PACs are being outspent by roughly $5 million across all races.
• At the state level, AI safety spending is nowhere to be found, with anti-safety and industry-backed PACs spending over $20 million unchallenged.
• After Meta announced on its January earnings call that it would double down on data center construction, the Big Tech giant’s political spending has closely aligned with that ambition.
• • According to Meta, it has nearly 40 projects in Texas, 13 in Georgia, seven in Ohio, and three in Alabama. Forge the Future Project spent $1.36 million in Texas, $235,000 in Georgia, $25,000 in Ohio, $521,000 in South Dakota, and $503,000 in Alabama.
• After using his web of dark money organizations to push ads in favor of banning AI safety laws, Elon Musk has yet to factor into the AI super PAC equation.
• Shortly before leaving the White House, David Sacks blessed an AI super PAC that has yet to materialize.