Meta is moving deeper into politics as state governments take a more active role in shaping AI policy. The company is investing “tens of millions” of dollars into a new super PAC designed to push back on state-level tech proposals it believes could slow AI development.
The group, called the American Technology Excellence Project, adds another major political vehicle to the fight over AI regulation. Its creation comes as state lawmakers consider rules for AI companion chatbots, transparency obligations for large AI companies, and broader technology policy measures.
A new political push from Meta
The American Technology Excellence Project is Meta’s latest effort to influence policy around artificial intelligence. Last month, Meta launched a California-focused PAC intended to support tech-friendly candidates in state races.
The new super PAC has a broader mission. According to Axios, it will work to elect tech-friendly politicians from both parties in next year’s midterm elections. The group will be run by Republican veteran Brian Baker and Democratic consulting firm Hilltop Public Solutions.
Rachel Holland, a Meta spokesperson, told Axios that the super PAC will focus on promoting and defending U.S. tech companies and leadership, advocating for AI progress, and putting parents in charge of how their children experience online apps and AI technologies.
Meta has not said which states the super PAC will target. It also has not disclosed how many people the PAC will employ.
Why child safety is central to the message
The reference to parental control is not incidental. AI tools are facing growing child safety scrutiny, and Meta has been under particular pressure.
The company drew attention after leaked internal documents showed that its chatbots were allowed to have “romantic” chats with kids. Whistleblower reports also alleged that Meta may have suppressed research on child safety.
That backdrop helps explain why the new PAC’s public framing includes both AI progress and parental control. The policy debate is not only about whether AI companies should be allowed to build quickly. It is also about who sets the rules for how children and vulnerable users interact with AI systems.
In practical terms, this means Meta is trying to argue two points at once: that AI development should continue without what it sees as harmful constraints, and that parents should have more control over online and AI experiences involving children.
States are filling a federal policy gap
The new super PAC is arriving as many states move ahead with AI proposals. The source describes this activity as being spurred by a perceived failure of the federal government to address the issue.
During the 2025 legislative session, more than 1,000 bills related to AI were introduced in all 50 states. That volume has raised the stakes for companies that operate across the country and could face different rules in different places.
California is one example of the state-level pressure. Two bills passed there and are awaiting signature or veto by Governor Gavin Newsom:
- SB 243, a bill that would regulate AI companion chatbots to protect minors and vulnerable users.
- SB 53, a bill that would set new transparency requirements on large AI companies.
For Meta and other major AI companies, these state-by-state fights matter because they can shape how products are designed, launched, and explained to the public. Even when a rule applies in one state, a large platform may need to consider whether separate versions of a service are practical.
The industry argument against a patchwork
Silicon Valley has increased its efforts this year to limit states’ ability to pass AI legislation. The central argument is that a “patchwork” of state rules would be hard for powerful AI companies to navigate and could slow innovation.
The same argument is tied to a broader geopolitical claim: that the U.S. is racing to beat China in AI development. In that view, regulation at the state level could make American companies less able to move quickly.
Meta VP of public policy Brian Rice said the new group would “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.”
Meta is not alone in escalating political spending around this issue. Last month, Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI president Greg Brockman launched a Silicon Valley super PAC with $100 million dedicated to advocating against AI regulation.
Earlier this year, a proposal that would bar states from regulating AI at all for 10 years almost made it into the federal budget. It was ultimately struck down.
What this fight is really about
The fight over AI regulation is becoming a fight over where authority should sit. State lawmakers are moving because they see a need for rules. AI companies are responding because state policy could shape the operating environment for years.
Meta’s new super PAC signals that the company does not intend to treat state proposals as isolated local disputes. Instead, it is preparing for a coordinated political campaign around AI development, technology leadership, and parental control.
That makes the American Technology Excellence Project more than a funding vehicle. It is part of a broader push by the technology industry to influence which candidates win office, which bills advance, and how the public debate over AI safety and innovation is framed.