politics
A Manhattan primary winner for a seat in Congress has a defiant message for OpenAI and Anthropic
Micah Lasher said after winning the primary that he won't be taking cues from the "two big AI companies" that spent heavily to sway the election.
TL;DR
- Micah Lasher, the winner of the Democratic primary for New York's 12th congressional district, vowed to reject influence from AI companies that spent heavily in the election.
- Lasher has been a vocal skeptic of AI's potential negative impacts, including job displacement, increased inequality, and threats to the environment and public safety.
- The primary race saw millions of dollars spent by tech-aligned super PACs, reflecting a broader debate over how Washington should regulate the AI industry.
- One PAC, backed by leaders at OpenAI and Andreessen Horowitz, spent $8 million opposing AI regulations, while another, supported by donors tied to Anthropic and Adobe, spent $13 million supporting AI safety regulations.
- New York is emerging as a leader in AI regulation, with proposals to temporarily halt new data center permits to study their impact on the grid, utility bills, and climate goals.
- Lasher is a cosponsor of New York's Responsible AI Safety and Education Act, which aims to implement safeguards on advanced AI systems.