a16z-backed super PAC targets Alex Bores, sponsor of New York’s AI safety bill — and says it should be enacted

The pro-AI super PAC, backed by Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI President Greg Brockman, has chosen New York Assembly member Alex Burris — and his bid for Congress — as its first target.

The political action committee, called Leading the Future, was formed in August with a commitment of more than $100 million to support policymakers with a light — or no-touch — approach to AI regulation. This means going after policymakers who want to regulate AI. The super PAC has the backing of a number of other prominent leaders in the technology space, including Palantir co-founder and 8VC managing partner Joe Lonsdale as well as AI search engine Perplexity.

“I appreciate how clear they are on this,” Boris told a room of reporters Monday evening at a journalism workshop on the impacts of artificial general intelligence and governance in Washington, D.C. “When they say, ‘Hey, we’re going to spend millions against Alex because he might regulate things.’” Big technology And put basic guardrails on AI, and I’m just sending that to my constituents.

Burris, who is running to represent the state’s 12th Congressional District, said AI concerns are on the rise among his constituents, who worry about everything from data centers paying utility bills and worsening climate change to chatbots affecting children’s mental health and automation changing the job market.

Burris is the lead sponsor of New York’s bipartisan RAISE Act, which requires large AI labs to have a safety plan to prevent serious damage, follow their safety plan, and detect critical safety incidents, such as bad actors stealing an AI model. The bill also prohibits AI companies from releasing models that pose an unreasonable risk of serious harm, and imposes civil penalties of up to $30 million if companies fail to adhere to these standards. The legislation is currently awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature.

Boris said that while drafting and rewriting the bill, he consulted with large AI companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic. These negotiations resulted in the removal of provisions such as third-party safety audits, which he says the industry refused to accept. However, the RAISE Act, and Boris himself, appear to have drawn the wrath of Silicon Valley.

Zack Moffat and Josh Vlasto, presidents of Leadership Future, told Politico they would launch a multi-billion-dollar effort to sink Boris’ campaign.

In a statement sent to TechCrunch, they accused Boris of introducing “ideologically and politically motivated legislation that would restrict not just New York, but the entire country’s ability to lead in AI jobs and innovation.” “Bills like the RAISE Act threaten American competitiveness, limit economic growth, leave users vulnerable to foreign influence and manipulation, and undermine our national security,” the pair said.

“The RAISE Act is a clear example of patchwork, ill-informed, and bureaucratic state laws that will slow American progress and open the door for China to win the global race to lead artificial intelligence,” Moffat and Vlasto said in the emailed statement. “America needs a clear and consistent national regulatory framework for AI that strengthens our economy, creates jobs for American workers, supports vibrant communities, and protects users.”

Many in Silicon Valley have lobbied to prevent states from passing regulations related to artificial intelligence. Earlier this year, a provision blocking state AI laws was included in a federal budget bill and later removed. Now lawmakers such as Senator Ted Cruz are seeking to revive this idea through other legislative avenues.

Burris said he is concerned that such a movement may continue to gain strength at a time when the federal government has not issued any meaningful regulation of artificial intelligence. When the federal government moves slowly, states are like startups — they can serve as policy laboratories and move quickly to test what works.

“The question should be: Has Congress solved the problem?” Boris said. “If Congress solves the problem, it can tell the states to get out of the way, but if they don’t agree to a bill that actually addresses any of the problems… [saying that states can’t do anything] This doesn’t make sense to me.

Boris also noted that he has been in contact with policymakers in other states to work on standardizing legislation, which could overcome “patchwork” objection from Silicon Valley. He also believes that lawmakers should ensure that there is no duplication in EU AI law.

Boris stressed that regulation of AI was not intended to limit innovation, and that he rejected bills that he believed would have unintended consequences for the industry.

“Having basic rules of the road, literally or figuratively, is actually a very pro-innovation stance if done well,” Burris said. “I fundamentally believe that the AI ​​that wins will be the AI ​​that is trustworthy. And the resistance from industry by saying that government has no role in establishing that trust is what I think you see people rejecting at every level.”