Big Tech critic loses House race as AI lobby flexes political power

A long-time Big Tech critic lost a New York House special election to a Republican opponent. An AI industry PAC spent over $1 million on ads linking AI regulation to national security. It's the first time AI lobbying money directly helped defeat an antitrust hawk in a congressional race, signaling the industry is using AI as a political shield against regulation.

Why it matters: First documented case of AI lobbying money directly defeating an antitrust candidate in a congressional race, with specific dollar figures from FT. Not a product/tech breakthrough, so capped below 85, but the policy signal is strong enough for featured.