US midterms: Voters' AI worries outweigh tech billionaires' spending

Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the U.S. midterm elections, delivering a major rebuke to Republican leadership and President Donald Trump, despite record spending by tech billionaires and corporate interests. Tech billionaires including Elon Musk, who contributed nearly $474 million, and venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz spent heavily to support Republican candidates, hoping to secure favorable AI and data center policies. The defeat signals growing voter concern over AI's environmental and economic impacts, with Democratic lawmakers planning intensified scrutiny of tech companies and their infrastructure investments. The outcome may reshape the tech industry's relationship with Washington, as Democrats signal investigations into AI firms and data center expansion. Texas results showed particular backlash against rapid data center growth, with Democratic candidates winning after campaigning against the industry's local impacts.