Tech Titans Fight AI State Regulation

 

“American billionaires, tech titans and their opponents are amassing multimillion-dollar war chests for a chaotic, bruising battle over AI regulation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

 

Opponents of state-level regulation fear a patchwork of laws will slow America's progress in the artificial-intelligence arms race with China. They argue that the U.S. must spend trillions of dollars and build quickly in the coming years to maintain supremacy.

 

Donors have already committed well above $100 million to political-action committees involved in that fight, which has been supercharged by the wealth of some individuals and companies. Included are the venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and an OpenAI co-founder, Greg Brockman. Meta Platforms is also funding several political efforts.

 

Supporters of more-stringent AI regulations launched their own effort this week, aiming to raise at least $50 million to help candidates who support more AI regulation.

 

The biggest player so far is Leading the Future, a super PAC that has said it would use donations of more than $100 million to "reshape the political environment around innovation policy." The group has vowed to support candidates of both parties who mirror the industry's priorities and "aggressively oppose" those who jeopardize them.

 

The super PAC said Andreessen Horowitz committed $25 million this year and $25 million next year, as have Brockman and his wife, Anna Brockman. Other supporters include the venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale, the investor Ron Conway and the AI company Perplexity.

 

The Brockmans said they have observed "two extremist camps" in the AI regulatory debate and that "neither feels right."

 

"We believe in AI centrism, which supports thoughtful regulation toward the goal of unlocking AI's potential to improve quality of life for every person (and every animal)," they said.

 

The couple said they want to see federal AI regulation that promotes innovation, defends systems from misuse and protects "the privacy of conversations with AI." Beyond that, they said, "Most developers and open-source models, and almost all deployments of today's technology, should have minimal additional regulatory burden."

 

The debate over whether the federal government should restrict states from regulating AI hasn't broken cleanly along party lines. The Trump administration, which is exploring the idea, has found itself at odds with some Republican allies, including GOP governors and attorneys general as well as Steve Bannon, a former adviser to President Trump.

 

While Congress hasn't passed a comprehensive law for the fast-growing technology, some states have begun discussing or passing regulations rooted in concern about the need for more AI safeguards.

 

They include policies championed by nonprofit groups tied to the effective-altruism movement, a broad social and moral philosophy that has become divisive in Silicon Valley owing in part to its focus on potential worst-case scenarios in AI development. Pro-AI forces call them "doomers."

 

An effort to punch back against Leading the Future went public Tuesday: an organization called Public First that plans to back candidates from both parties through two super PACs. The group, which is organized under section 501(c)(4) of the tax code and isn't required to disclose its donors, is aiming to raise at least $50 million.

 

Public First is being led by former Reps. Chris Stewart of Utah, a Republican, and Brad Carson of Oklahoma, a Democrat.

 

Carson said he hopes Public First will be a "rallying point for a pretty large community of people" who want guardrails around AI. He said the group will look for candidates who support export controls to China and embrace the idea that governments "at all levels" should have a hand in AI regulation. "This issue is one that transcends party labels," Carson said.

 

State lawmakers introduced more than 1,000 AI-related bills in 2025, including some in California, New York and Colorado that could set national precedents.

 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed a landmark bill this fall that requires major AI companies to publish and follow safety policies for managing severe risks posed by the technology. A similar bill passed in New York, but it might undergo changes negotiated between the sponsors and Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat. Her office said she would review the legislation.” [1]

 

1. U.S. News: Tech Titans Fight AI State Regulation. Nelson, Laura J.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 28 Nov 2025: A4.