In Other News · United States · Technology

Source: Axios

Advocates for AI safety and regulation are emerging as a force in U.S. elections, spending nearly $50 million this election cycle on candidates who favor regulation, a new analysis shared exclusively with Axios shows.Why it matters: The safety spending points to the unusual power dynamics in the AI race, where researchers shape policy and regulation in ways that differ at times from the priorities of the companies where they work.The researchers add to the advocacy and giving of an array of AI safety groups that have been well-funded for years, including from Coefficient Giving, a philanthropy with close ties to many top AI executives, especially at Anthropic.Driving the news: AI safety groups and individual donors have spent $48 million this cycle on Democratic and Republican races, according to new figures shared first with Axios.That includes donations from researchers, such as OpenAI's Juan Felipe Cerón Uribe and Redwood's Aryan Bhatt.It also includes Guardrails Alliance, a tech-worker backed AI safety group, which has raised $11.7 million between its super PAC and 501(c)(4).The big picture: Taking AI industry money has grown complicated due to viral warnings of catastrophic AI risk from the very same industry developing it and data center NIMBYism mobilizing communities...