VC-Backed Group Plans Data Center Ads for Midterms
A pro-AI super PAC backed by Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, and Greg Brockman launches Build American AI to run multi-million dollar ads in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Build American AI plans to blast voters in key battleground states with data center ads.
- The group is affiliated with Leading the Future (LTF), backed by Andreessen, Horowitz, and Brockman.
- Campaign focuses on Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin with a multi-million dollar budget.
- OpenAI previously distanced itself from LTF in a blog post back in June.
A well-known, pro-AI super political action committee is behind a newly formed entity called Build American AI, which plans to reach voters in key battleground states with advertisements advocating for data centers, according to multiple media reports on August 31, 2026.
The newly established group aims to convince citizens of the benefits of having data centers located in their local communities. It stated its affiliation with Leading the Future (LTF), a heavy-hitting super PAC funded significantly by venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, alongside OpenAI President Greg Brockman.
Build American AI informed Bloomberg that its upcoming advertisements will target Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin, where local concerns surrounding data centers have turned into a central theme during statewide elections. The group confirmed its ad budget amounts to millions of dollars.
"LTF has become such a well-known, and not particularly beloved, force in AI-related election politics that OpenAI publicly distanced itself from it in a blog post in June."
TechCrunch
Leading the Future originally launched with over $50 million in financial backing, primarily utilizing those funds to donate to specific politicians, Politico reported. Sources indicated that LTF supports pro-AI candidates while actively working against politicians who lobby in opposition to the technology.
This strategy of utilizing super PACs highlights how top-tier tech investors and executives are increasingly engaging directly in electoral politics to sway public opinion on essential AI infrastructure, such as data centers. Overcoming local community resistance regarding resource consumption in crucial swing states remains a primary hurdle for tech industry expansion during election cycles.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
LTF has generated substantial discussion throughout Silicon Valley, prompting OpenAI to publicly distance itself from the super PAC via a blog post in June. However, LTF is not alone in the political arena, as rival AI firms like Anthropic support groups such as Public First Action, which focuses on advocating for AI regulations.
Source: TechCrunch
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