Pro-AI Group Backed by Tech Investors Plans Data Center Ad Blitz in Midterm States

Build American AI, a newly formed political advocacy group, is preparing to spend millions of dollars on advertisements in three battleground states to drum up support for data center development. The group says it is affiliated with Leading the Future (LTF), a super PAC launched with more than $50 million in funding and backed by prominent venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, as well as OpenAI President Greg Brockman.

The ad campaign will target Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin, where data center projects have become a contentious issue in statewide elections. Build American AI told Bloomberg that it aims to convince residents of the economic and technological benefits of hosting data centers in their communities.

LTF has historically used its funds to donate to political candidates who advocate for artificial intelligence, while also working to oppose those who criticize the technology, according to Politico. The super PAC has drawn scrutiny, prompting OpenAI to publicly distance itself from the organization in a blog post in June.

"There have been questions around Leading the Future (LTF), which has received support from our President and co-founder, Greg Brockman, and his wife Anna," OpenAI wrote. "OpenAI does not direct the activities of LTF, or have visibility into their operations."

Build American AI's advertising push marks a notable effort to sway public opinion on data centers, which have become a flashpoint in local and state politics due to concerns about energy usage, water consumption, and noise.