A new group called Build American AI plans to spend millions of dollars on advertisements in Kansas, Ohio and Wisconsin to promote the benefits of data centers, according to reports.
The group says it is affiliated with Leading the Future (LTF), a super political action committee heavily funded by venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, along with OpenAI President Greg Brockman.
Build American AI told Bloomberg it will focus its ads on states where data centers have become a central issue in statewide elections. Its ad budget is reported to be in the millions of dollars.
LTF launched with over $50 million in funding and has mostly used the money to donate to specific politicians, according to Politico. It supports candidates who advocate for AI and works to oppose those who lobby against the technology, sources told Politico.
OpenAI publicly distanced itself from LTF in a June blog post, stating it does not direct LTF's activities or have visibility into its operations. OpenAI also condemned tactics such as astroturfing, which involves making a paid campaign look like grassroots support.