AI super PAC Leading the Future modeled on crypto tactics

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Relevant to AI governance watchers tracking industry political strategies; illustrates how AI companies are proactively shaping the regulatory landscape using electoral influence, which has implications for AI safety policy outcomes.

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Summary

This article covers the emergence of an AI-focused super PAC called 'Leading the Future,' which is adopting political strategies pioneered by the cryptocurrency industry to influence AI policy and elections. The piece examines how AI industry interests are mobilizing significant political spending to shape regulatory outcomes in Washington.

Key Points

•An AI-focused super PAC named 'Leading the Future' is organizing to influence U.S. elections and AI policy using tactics borrowed from crypto's political playbook.
•The crypto industry's success in using PAC spending to elect friendly legislators is serving as a template for AI industry political mobilization.
•The super PAC represents a broader trend of AI stakeholders moving from reactive lobbying to proactive electoral influence.
•This political spending is aimed at shaping the regulatory environment for AI before major governance frameworks are established.
•The approach signals increasing institutionalization of AI industry political power as a counterweight to safety-oriented regulatory proposals.

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Page	Type	Quality
Leading the Future super PAC	Organization	73.0

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# AI embraces crypto’s dirty politics

### A new super PAC network looks set to spend millions to influence AI regulation

[Shakeel Hashim](https://substack.com/@shakeelhashim)

Aug 26, 2025

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[![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oelO!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd9ec45d3-caec-4642-84bd-0eaac4567f60_2560x1440.jpeg)](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oelO!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd9ec45d3-caec-4642-84bd-0eaac4567f60_2560x1440.jpeg) _Image: Leading the Future_

The AI industry has already shown an appetite for dirty lobbying tactics, but things look set to get even worse.

On Monday, Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI’s Greg Brockman, Perplexity, and investors Ron Conway and Joe Lonsdale [launched](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ai-industry-launches-leading-the-future-to-drive-us-ai-leadership-economic-growth-national-security-and-innovation-302537548.html?tc=eml_cleartime) Leading the Future, a new network of super PACs and 501c(4)s to “organize political support and elect pro-innovation candidates at scale.”

Leading the Future is launching with more than $100m in funding, enough to make it one of the biggest spenders in congressional elections. The aim is clear: throw obscene amounts of money at politicians to discourage AI regulation.

The network will “support candidates aligned with the pro-AI agenda … and oppose those that do not,” the announcement reads, with plans to operate in both primary contests and general elections. Statements accompanying the launch [talk](https://x.com/collin_mccune/status/1959943016497

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