Exclusive: Democrats run more anti-tech ads amid AI boom
Liberal candidates in more than 130 federal and gubernatorial races this cycle ran anti-tech or anti-data center ads, according to a new analysis. Democrats running in more than 130 federal and gubernatorial races aired anti-tech or anti-data center ads this cycle, an increase over just two Democratic ads mentioning those topics from 2020 to 2024, according to a new analysis from the Tech Oversight Project shared first with Semafor. Democrats used these messages four times as often as Republicans, the report says. The ads appeared in nearly every battleground state, as well as three toss-up governor races. Ads cited by the report blame AI for price-gouging, harm to children, and even healthcare denial, while data center-focused ads press Republicans on water use and threats to farmland. “Democrats have potentially found a winning message. Now is the time to step on the gas and reject a return to business as usual in Washington, Silicon Valley fundraisers, and light-touch approaches,” the group, which is mostly funded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar’s philanthropic network, writes in the report. “It would be a betrayal of their campaign promises, and not only would it squander our vi
Liberal candidates in more than 130 federal and gubernatorial races this cycle ran anti-tech or anti-data center ads, according to a new analysis. Democrats running in more than 130 federal and gubernatorial races aired anti-tech or anti-data center ads this cycle, an increase over just two Democratic ads mentioning those topics from 2020 to 2024, according to a new analysis from the Tech Oversight Project shared first with Semafor. Democrats used these messages four times as often as Republicans, the report says. The ads appeared in nearly every battleground state, as well as three toss-up governor races.
Ads cited by the report blame AI for price-gouging, harm to children, and even healthcare denial, while data center-focused ads press Republicans on water use and threats to farmland. “Democrats have potentially found a winning message. Now is the time to step on the gas and reject a return to business as usual in Washington, Silicon Valley fundraisers, and light-touch approaches,” the group, which is mostly funded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar’s philanthropic network, writes in the report. “It would be a betrayal of their campaign promises, and not only would it squander our victory —— it would create resentment in the base that will cost us in 2028,” it continues.
Groups that are pushing for stricter rules on AI and social media, like the Tech Oversight Project and other anti-AI organizations, see a huge opportunity to push Democrats in Congress and 2028 presidential contenders further on AI safety and data centers. They argue conservatives have already lost credibility on it thanks to President Donald Trump’s cozy relationships with billionaire tech executives.