A high-stakes congressional race in New York's 12th district has become a battleground for the future of artificial intelligence regulation, with AI companies investing over $20 million in the campaign. The race pits state Assemblyman Alex Bores, a proponent of AI safety, against fellow Assemblyman Micah Lasher and John F. Kennedy grandson Jack Schlossberg. Two major super PACs, Leading the Future and Public First Action, are backing opposing candidates, with Leading the Future spending $8 million to oppose Bores and Public First Action investing $11 million to support him. The massive spending reflects the significance of this race in shaping the federal government's approach to AI regulation. While Leading the Future advocates for a lighter regulatory touch, Public First Action is pushing for more stringent controls on AI development and deployment. Bores, an engineer and computer scientist, believes that regulation is essential to ensuring AI benefits society without causing harm. The outcome of this race will have significant implications for the future of AI regulation in the US, with the winner likely to play a key role in shaping the government's approach to this critical issue. As the campaign heats up, the technical community will be watching closely to see how the candidates' positions on AI regulation will impact the development and deployment of AI systems.

Source: CNBC