After the news that a super PAC would be established to promote AI-friendly policies in California’s local political environment, Axios News websiteReportIt is alleged that Meta has launched a super PAC called "American Technology Excellence Project" to influence state election results, support candidates who are friendly to the development of technology and AI, and further prevent AI regulatory measures that are considered overly harsh.
The report stated that Meta will invest "tens of millions of dollars" to promote this project, hoping to use political power to ensure that the United States maintains its leading position in the competition for AI technology development. This super PAC is led by long-time Republican political strategist Brian Baker and is working with the Democratic consulting firm Hilltop Public Solutions to demonstrate a bipartisan operating strategy.
Brian Rice, Meta's vice president of public policy, emphasized in a statement that state legislators play a critical role in ensuring America's technological leadership, and the company therefore supports candidates who actively embrace AI development and are willing to defend the tech industry. Meta also noted that there are currently over 1000 state-level policy proposals related to AI regulation in the US, and that a lack of coordination could hinder innovation and even affect America's competitiveness in the global AI race.
California has already passed a law protecting actors' digital image rights and has proposed bills addressing issues like election misinformation and significant harm caused by AI, demonstrating the proactive attitude of local governments toward AI regulation. While the federal government has not yet promoted comprehensive AI regulation, it also does not prohibit individual states from enacting their own legislation, resulting in varying policy requirements and regulations across the country.
For Meta and other tech giants, this may mean higher compliance costs and legal risks, so protecting industry interests by supporting political candidates and shaping public opinion has almost become an inevitable choice.
Meta has not yet announced which states or upcoming elections it will target, nor has it disclosed how many staff the super PAC will employ. However, with the massive investment, this move is expected to have a significant impact on state elections in late 2025 and 2026, and may also spark renewed discussion about tech companies' interference in politics.
