Meta is putting “tens of millions” of dollars into a new super PAC to push back against state-level rules that could slow down AI development, according to Axios. The new group, called the American Technology Excellence Project, is Meta’s latest move to influence tech policy. Just last month, the company launched a separate PAC in California to support candidates who favour the tech industry.
This super PAC will be led by Republican strategist Brian Baker and Democratic firm Hilltop Public Solutions. Its goal is to help select pro-tech politicians from both parties in next year’s midterms. According to Meta spokesperson Rachel Holland, the group will promote U.S. tech leadership, advocate for AI innovation, and back policies that give parents more control over how their children use online apps and AI tools.
That focus on parental control follows growing concerns about child safety. Meta has faced criticism after leaked documents showed its chatbots could engage in “romantic” chats with minors, and whistleblowers claimed the company downplayed child-safety research. Meta hasn’t yet revealed which states the PAC will target or how large its team will be. The launch comes as states across the country move ahead with AI-related laws in the absence of federal action. During the 2025 legislative session, more than 1,000 AI-related bills were introduced nationwide. In California, two key measures are on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk: SB 243, which would regulate AI chatbots to protect minors and vulnerable users, and SB 53, which would increase transparency requirements for large AI companies.
Meta’s vice president of public policy, Brian Rice, said the new PAC will “support the election of state candidates across the country who embrace AI development, champion the U.S. technology industry, and defend American tech leadership at home and abroad.” Big Tech as a whole is mobilizing against state AI laws.
Silicon Valley firms argue that a patchwork of regulations would be hard to navigate and could slow innovation at a time when the U.S. is racing to compete with China on AI. Last month, venture firm Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI president Greg Brockman launched their own super PAC with $100 million to fight AI regulation. Earlier this year, a proposal to block states from regulating AI for 10 years nearly made it into the federal budget but was ultimately dropped.
