Inside the well-funded AI doom machine — and who is benefiting from it
Sen. Bernie Sanders hosted a Capitol Hill panel with Chinese AI officials to discuss the existential risks of artificial intelligence, highlighting a growing coalition across ideological lines advocating for AI regulation. A network of donors, led by former Facebook executive Dustin Moskovitz, has spent billions promoting AI doomerism, raising concerns that such efforts could hinder U.S. competitiveness in the global AI race. While legitimate AI risks exist, critics argue that the alarmist rhetoric is being exploited by a broad and unusual alliance, including progressive and conservative groups, to slow American technological advancement.
- ▪Sen. Bernie Sanders hosted a panel with Chinese AI officials from Beijing’s Ministry of Science and Technology to discuss AI’s existential threats.
- ▪A donor network centered on Dustin Moskovitz’s Coefficient Giving has spent $5.9 billion and pledged $37.8 billion more to promote AI safety causes.
- ▪The Future of Life Institute released an AI declaration signed by figures across the political spectrum, including Amy Kremer, Ralph Nader, and Susan Rice.
- ▪Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, often labeled an AI alarmist, contributed $20 million through his company to a pro-regulation Super PAC in February 2026.
- ▪Critics argue that the AI doomer movement, while citing real concerns like deepfakes and job loss, is increasingly driven by hyperbolic rhetoric and political coordination that risks undermining U.S. innovation.
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NYNEXT Business Inside the well-funded AI doom machine — and who is benefiting from it By Lydia Moynihan Published April 30, 2026, 6:38 p.m. ET While the Elon Musk–Sam Altman trial in Oakland, Calif., is dominating headlines this week, 3,000 miles away, a Capitol Hill event with far less fanfare may prove even more significant for the future of AI in America. On Wednesday evening, Sen. Bernie Sanders hosted a panel featuring top Chinese AI officials tied to Beijing’s Ministry of Science and Technology — including Xue Lan of Tsinghua University and Zeng Yi of the Beijing Institute of AI Safety and Governance — to discuss the “existential threat” of artificial intelligence and the need for international cooperation.
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