Picture the scene. A packed room, the buzz of anticipation in the air as NY-12 congressional candidate Alex Bores steps up to take the podium, ready to speak during a campaign event. As the flashbulbs go off and a Bloomberg photographer captures the moment, attendees eagerly await to hear what the candidate has to say.<\/p>\n
Fast forward to June, when the notoriously tumultuous Democratic primary for New York\u2019s 12th congressional district wraps up. Throughout the heated race, tech giants Anthropic and OpenAI have gone head-to-head, investing millions in a fierce tug-of-war over the future of artificial intelligence (AI) regulations: Who should pull the strings? Who should face repercussions for crossover attempts? As the dust begins to settle, it becomes clear that, ironically, the real victor might not necessarily be a corporate giant.<\/p>\n
Instead, the crown could end up on the head of a former dark horse \u2013 a formerly unsung New York state assemblyman who has recently found himself under the spotlight thanks to the wonders of the Streisand effect. Suddenly, Alex Bores has transformed into a high-profile figurehead, largely an emblem for AI safety regulation where, previously, he was rather obscure.<\/p>\n
So what led to Bores\u2019 dramatic rise in stature? It appears to have been an intricate dance of actions and reactions which began in the fall of 2025. More specifically, Leading the Future, a super PAC financially backed by OpenAI, Palantir, and a16z executives, initiated an aggressive campaign against Bores involving millions of dollars.<\/p>\n
But it wasn\u2019t just money that put Bores on the map. The catalyst was his notable authorship of a piece of key AI safety legislation proposed that year. Suddenly, Bores became the target of Leading the Future\u2019s high-stakes lobbying efforts.<\/p>\n
This high-profile tussle has clear implications for the larger debate over who gets to control the path of AI and how it is regulated\u2014or for that matter, who faces blowback for attempts to assert such control. The corporations may have their cash reserves and established influence, but figures like Bores have made it clear that they won\u2019t go down without a fight when it comes to asserting their views.<\/p>\n
This battle of over AI\u2019s political future is sure to rage on, even after the dust of the NY-12 primary settles. But for now, one thing is clear: thanks to the intense spotlight thrown on him by his corporate opponents, the once-little-known Alex Bores may very well be the one laughing all the way to the polls.<\/p>\n