I was recently struggling to keep track of the truly impressive number of the OpenAI and A16z exec backed Super PAC Leading the Future's amateurish astroturfing allegations and the Super PAC network's responses and/or non-responses. Here's a list - let me know if I missed any!

#1: Acutus Wire/AI Journalist Michael Chen

A website called "Acutus Wire" was using a fake AI journalist named Michael Chen to reach out to advocates of AI regulation to write AI generated negative stories about AI regulation, and other stories that appeared to be for the benefit of the sites clients, including several articles for Leading the Future. When 'Michael Chen' reached out, he didn't disclose that he was in fact an AI (the site map of the website referred to questions for the "AI interviewer" to ask).

Response: Leading the Future seemed to admit that they had something to do with website, but pled ignorance. Full statement: "We were not aware of this platform until we saw the article, and our organization does not use it. It appears that a third-party vendor used it without our knowledge, and their engagement with us has been terminated."

#2: WIRED Story on Build American AI paying for Tik Tok Videos

Build American AI reached out to content creators asking them to make videos vociferously praising AI. Some of the content creators were offered $5,000 per video, and did not disclose who paid them. Taylor Lorenz, who wrote the story, learned about the campaign because one of Build American AI's contractors (SM4) reached out to her asking if she would like to participate in the program.

Response: LTF/Build American AI was completely unapologetic - "We’ll continue to highlight AI’s economic benefits, counter false narratives, and build the coalition needed to advance a national regulatory framework using every tool at our disposal.”

#3 Doomer Daylight Sockpuppet

Midas Project put together pretty extensive evidence alleging that an anonymous twitter account called Doomer Daylight (which had also been running online ads on the platform) which was routinely attacking advocates of AI regulation (and posting cringy memes) was actually being run by LTF or their C4 affiliate Build American AI.

Response: No response that I have seen from Leading the Future or Build American AI.

#4: Bots pretending to be 18 year olds adult content creators (whose names all started with M) disproportionately promoting LTF/Build American AI content

Midas Project once again documented a significant pool of evidence showing bots promoting content from the AI Superpac. Strikingly, on one of Build American AI's posts, a majority of reposts (200/369) came from accounts claiming to be 18 year old Only Fans content creators whose names all started with M. These accounts also engaged extensively on some of LTF's subsidiary Think Big posts attacking Alex Bores. The engagement appeared across several different clients of Targeted Victory, a contractor who works frequently with Build American AI.

Response: The story came out on Friday, and there has not yet been a response from Leading the Future or Build American AI. @LeadingFutureAI @TheMidasProj @BuildAmericanAI @TaylorLorenz