Ai-fueled political spending targets south dakota senate race

Major AI-linked super PACs have invested nearly $1 million in South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds’s re-election bid, aiming to influence the state’s stance on AI regulation. The spending, largely from entities like Defend American Jobs and Anthropic, has brought Rounds over $800,000 in outside funds, surpassing contributions from local donors. With less than 50 days until the midterms, Rounds leads independent candidate Brian Beng after Democratic candidate Julian Beaudion withdrew last month. OpenAI-backed Leading the Future recently pledged $2 million to support pro-AI Senate Republicans, including Rounds. South Dakota’s legislature has already debated AI-related issues, passing a bill to shift energy and water costs to data center operators. Rounds, though supportive of AI, faces scrutiny over his senior aide’s ties to Meta, a company with data center interests. A spokesperson for Rounds declined to comment, while congressional aides noted AI regulation is set to become a key legislative focus.