When asked for comment on this story, an OpenAI spokesperson pointed to WIRED as of June blog post stating that Brockman’s involvement with Leading the Future was in a personal capacity and not on behalf of the company. The blog also noted that OpenAI employees “are free to participate in the political process within their personal capacity, including by donating to or providing advice to political candidates, campaigns, and organizations.”
Gabriel Wu, an OpenAI security researcher, says he donated $5,000 to the Guardrails Alliance to “take a stand against leading the future” and spending huge amounts of money to ensure that artificial intelligence remains unregulated.
“Artificial intelligence is a powerful technology that has the potential to provide enormous benefits to humanity, but I worry about what will happen if we do not adopt responsible regulations and instead allow a few ultra-rich and irresponsible individuals to control the future of artificial intelligence,” Wu told WIRED in a statement.
Julie Steele and Jason Wolfe, two OpenAI employees researching AI customization, each donated $5,000 to the Guardrails Alliance, according to the group. They and at least three other OpenAI employees will appear in future quarterly super PAC reports filed with the FEC. David Farhi, a former OpenAI research manager who left the company last summer after seven years, contributed $3,000 to the super PAC and will appear in the group’s July filings.
“As a long-time AI research leader at OpenAI, it has become abundantly clear to me that AI will present our world with both unprecedented opportunities and challenges,” Farhi said in a statement to WIRED. He added that it was disappointing to see Leading the Future “actively working against OpenAI’s mission by seeking to shut down” discussions about AI regulation before it happens.
In a statement to WIRED, Leading the Future spokesman Jesse Hunt denied that the super PAC was trying to stifle public debate about artificial intelligence and noted that it has previously he advocated for federal regulations on technology. “Leading the Future has set a clear, positive and proactive agenda and we are proud of our achievements in supporting a diverse range of decision-makers and candidates across the country,” Hunt said.
Guardrails Alliance isn’t the first PAC to try to fight Future Guidance. Public First Action, backed by a super PAC $20 million from Anthropichas pledged to promote AI safeguards and counter pro-AI groups in the 2026 elections. Thomas, however, says the Guardrails Alliance is unique because it represents a broad set of interest groups and does not have immense corporate donors.
Both Guardrails Alliance and Public First Action supported Bores in his primary race for Fresh York’s 12th Congressional District. The race was flooded $27 million in expenses from the pro-AI industry and pro-security groups. Thomas tells WIRED that Guardrails Alliance is considering supporting other Democrats in the 2026 elections, including California’s 34th Congressional District.
Guardrails Alliance is expected to disclose more of its donors, including Andreessen Horowitz’s former partner John O’Farrell, in its public filing Wednesday evening, although it is unclear how much he has contributed. A representative for O’Farrell did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment.
O’Farrell was the first external partner to join Andreessen Horowitz in 2010, but left earlier this year. In the Fresh York Times opinion piececriticized his former colleagues for allegedly using the Leading the Future initiative to “intimidate politicians who appear to be engaging too aggressively on the issue of AI governance.”