The $100 million super PAC targeted New York Democrat Alex Burris. He thinks it backfired

It turns out That’s when an AI-friendly super PAC does a $100 million backing Silicon Valley VIPs identify you as their first target, and you end up attracting a lot of attention.

“I want to thank PAC for their partnership in raising the issue of how to regulate incredibly powerful technology so that the future is good for all of us,” Alex Burris, a New York Assembly member and Democratic congressional candidate, says in an interview with WIRED. “I can’t imagine a better partner this week.”

Earlier this year, Boris and New York State Sen. Andrew Gounardes co-authored the RAISE Act, a bill that would enable New York’s attorney general to impose civil penalties of up to $30 million against AI developers like OpenAI and Google if they fail to publish safety reports on their technology.

The RAISE Act has passed New York Legislature in June, and is scheduled to be signed or vetoed by Gov. Kathy Hochul before the end of the year. It’s one of a few state AI safety bills around the country that are trying to regulate AI developers — even under the Trump administration. Preparing for executive order It aims to thwart state-level AI laws.

It is this effort that puts Boris squarely in the crosshairs of future leadership. In addition to backing from powerful venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, the recently formed political action committee is also funded by OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale.

Andreessen Horowitz declined WIRED’s request for comment. Brockman and Lonsdale did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment.

Future Leadership plans to spend millions of dollars to kill Boris’ bid for Congress. “Assemblyman Bores has introduced exactly the kind of ideological, politically motivated legislation that would constrain not just New York’s ability, but the entire country’s ability to lead in AI and innovation jobs,” PAC leaders Zach Moffat and Josh Vlasto said in a statement to WIRED. They added that the PAC “will aggressively oppose policymakers and candidates in states across the country,” jeopardizing “the ability of Americans to benefit from artificial intelligence.” But they declined to share their next goals.

Boris believes the AI ​​industry is threatened by his technical skills. The New York lawmaker holds a master’s degree in computer science from Georgia Tech. He also worked as an engineer at Palantir for four years before resigning in 2019 under a contract the company renewed with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“The part that scares Trump’s big donors the most is that I already understand AI,” he claims.