Topline
OpenAI’s billionaire co-founder and President Greg Brockman will not proceed with his planned donation of $25 million to a prominent political action committee that backs candidates who support pro-AI policies, after he and his wife Anna’s earlier donation of a similar amount drew backlash from his company’s employees.
OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife Anna donated $25 million to the pro-AI “Leading the Future” super PAC last year and had pledged to donate the same amount this year again.
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Key Facts
According to The New York Times, which first reported the story on Wednesday, Brockman told OpenAI staffers in an internal Slack message that he won’t make any further donations to the “Leading the Future” super PAC.
Brockman and his wife donated $25 million to the super PAC last year, shortly after it was formed, and had pledged to donate the same amount this year.
In the internal message cited by the Times, Brockman said he felt “terrible” that the super PAC “keeps reflecting on the company and become so much of a distraction for people here.”
Brockman added that he was “thinking hard” on how to “turn the ship” on this matter and has decided he and his wife have no plans to “donate more at this time.”
Crucial Quote
Reacting to the report, Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, tweeted: “OpenAI’s president admits his AI super PAC has become a liability. The pressure is working. Progressives have worked hard to make LTF as toxic as AIPAC. Now one of its biggest donors is backing out. Democrats need to stand with the people and reject AI billionaires’ money.”
Tangent
In response to Brockman’s earlier donation to “Leading the Future,” a group of OpenAI employees came together and donated more than $215,000 to a rival super PAC that pushes for stronger AI regulation earlier this year. The Guardrails Alliance launched in June, having raised $5 million and aims to raise $15 million during the midterm cycle. The group also commented on Wednesday’s report, noting: “Leading the Future is so toxic that OpenAI’s President backed out of his commitment to give them another $25M. Every Democrat who has received support from LTF should take this opportunity to loudly and publicly reject their support.”
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