Meta launched a new political action committee on Tuesday, according to Axios. Fueled by a multi-million-dollar investment, this super PAC will further Meta’s attempts at warding off policies that may inhibit AI advancements. Known as the American Technology Excellence Project, it aims to promote and defend U.S.-based tech innovators that advocate for AI progress, while ensuring parents are in charge of how their children interact with AI apps.
This move coincides with a rise in legislation like California’s Senate Bill 53, a policy requiring certain AI firms to publish safety and security protocols for their platforms and release reports when safety incidents occur. The bill was recently approved following several incidents where minors came to harm after engaging in dangerous conversation topics on platforms including ChatGPT. It now awaits the governor’s signature or veto.
The new Meta super PAC will reportedly be run by Brian Baker, a Republican politician, alongside Hilltop Public Solutions, a Democratic consulting firm. Operating at the state level, the committee will aim to elect tech-friendly politicians from both parties in the next midterm elections, TechCrunch wrote.
The super PAC isn’t the first of its kind. Last month, news broke that Meta planned to launch a California-based super PAC called Mobilizing Economic Transformation Across (Meta) California to focus on AI and tech regulation. OpenAI President Greg Brockman and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz are among the Silicon Valley investors pouring millions into a pro-AI super PAC network dubbed Leading the Future.
