Artificial intelligence has officially become a hot-button issue, disrupting everything from the domestic job market to international relations. As the 2026 midterms draw nearer, conversations around how to regulate AI are heating up, and those in Silicon Valley want to seat the right candidates at the table to steer the discussions in their favor.
Why Are Tech Companies Making Pro-AI Super Pacs?
Tech companies want to take advantage of a pro-AI president in Donald Trump, who has argued for more AI development and fewer regulations. In addition, U.S. companies are worried that other countries (mainly China) will get ahead in the AI race and want politicians who will pass laws that prioritize AI advancement and maintain U.S. dominance in the industry.
That’s why some of the most prominent names in AI are investing in super PACs — political action committees that can raise unlimited funds from individuals, unions and corporations to support or oppose political candidates, as long as they don’t directly contribute to or work with any candidate’s campaign. As of now, Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI have teamed up to lead a pro-AI super PAC, and Meta has launched its own AI super PAC as well.
Attempting to sway elections is nothing new for the tech sector, but the rise of pro-AI super PACs raises the stakes to a whole other level, and reveals just how pivotal these upcoming elections could be for the future of policymaking and AI development in the United States.
What to Know About Big Tech’s Pro-AI Super PACs
Silicon Valley is flexing its political influence through the creation of two AI super PACs: Leading the Future and Mobilizing Economic Transformation Across California.
Leading the Future
Leading the Future is a super PAC led by OpenAI President Greg Brockman and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), which has made a habit of lobbying the federal government on various issues. Other notable members of the super PAC include Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale and AI search company Perplexity.
The goal of the PAC is to advocate for pro-AI candidates regardless of party affiliation, while at the same time undermining candidates who believe AI is moving too quickly and want to rein in the technology. As a16z’s Head of Government Affairs Collin McCune explains in a post on X, Leading the Future champions “leaders who understand the promise of AI and the importance of getting policy right.” In particular, backers want AI-friendly policies at the federal level instead of complete deregulation.
Another motive for forming the PAC is the ongoing AI race between the U.S. and China specifically. By helping to elect more pro-AI candidates to Congress, the hope is that these politicians will pass federal legislation defining the rules of AI rather than let it become ensnared in an intricate patchwork of state laws. A single, federal framework would be much easier to navigate and facilitate faster AI development, allowing the U.S. to keep pace with China.
“Make no mistake: this is also a race with China,” said McCune in the previously mentioned X post. “If we don’t have the right policies, we risk ceding the future of AI — and with it, America’s economic strength and national security.”
Mobilizing Economic Transformation Across California
Mobilizing Economic Transformation Across (Meta) California is a super PAC launched by AI, virtual reality and social media company Meta. The company plans to invest tens of millions of dollars to boost both Democratic and Republican candidates running for state offices in California who believe in AI-friendly policies.
This decision comes amid a highly anticipated 2026 California governor’s race as Governor Gavin Newsom weighs his presidential prospects for 2028. Having reorganized its AI divisions under Meta Superintelligence Labs, Meta could also use this super PAC to further cement itself as a force in California’s AI landscape.
California has been known to take a firmer stance on AI regulation than other states. Establishing Meta California gives Meta, as well as the rest of Silicon Valley, a chance to cultivate a more favorable regulatory environment in its home state.
AI’s Growing Influence Over Washington
While pro-AI super PACs have garnered plenty of attention lately, AI lobbying in general has been building over the years. According to research by Public Citizen, the number of clients lobbying on AI-related issues rose from 270 in 2019 to 566 in 2023. During the same five-year period, the number of lobbyists hired by these clients to prop up AI-related issues nearly tripled from more than 1,300 to more than 3,400.
AI lobbying’s steady surge has set the stage for massive spending among tech companies. An Issue One report found that major AI players spent a combined $36 million on federal lobbying during the first half of 2025, with Meta ($13.8 million), Alphabet ($7.8 million), Microsoft ($5.2 million), Nvidia ($1.6 million) and OpenAI ($1.2 million) leading the way. In fact, Meta now has one lobbyist for every six members of Congress.
Silicon Valley is no longer shy about getting the federal government to buy into its views on AI, and this approach is paying off. In May 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives added a provision to President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” Act that would’ve banned all state AI regulations. Although the U.S. Senate rejected this proposal, AI proponents have clearly gained ground as Washington increasingly leans toward a pro-AI stance.
So, What’s Behind This AI Political Push Right Now?
On one hand, AI companies have never been on better terms with the U.S. government. President Donald Trump has proven to be a key ally for the industry, supporting the growth of AI businesses and the construction of AI infrastructure. His wife, Melania, has even promoted a nationwide contest that encourages K-12 students to solve community issues using AI. It makes sense that tech companies would want to capitalize on this unprecedented momentum during Trump’s second term.
But there’s another factor fueling the urgency behind big tech’s AI lobbying efforts: DeepSeek. The Chinese company released its DeepSeek V3.1 model in late August 2025, closely following OpenAI’s GPT-5 and Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.1. Although it may not have the same kind of game-changing impact as DeepSeek-R1 in January, V3.1 has duplicated DeepSeek’s success of rivaling its much larger competitors’ models at a fraction of the cost. This reality hits OpenAI particularly hard, considering the lukewarm reception of GPT-5.
As a Chinese startup that prioritizes open-source AI, DeepSeek is the ultimate threat to U.S.-based tech titans. Its high-performing models offer an alternative to the closed ones, delivering a more decentralized approach that ensures wider access to AI models and undermines U.S. ambitions around AI dominance. Having poured more money into AI than any other country in the world, America’s tech elite would likely never live down a loss to DeepSeek.
And so, cue the push for more AI-friendly candidates to spearhead AI progress in the U.S. and put challengers like DeepSeek back in their place. As stated in a commentary post on X announcing DeepSeek V3.1’s arrival: “The AI race just got hotter!”
How the AI Industry Is Borrowing From Crypto’s Playbook
If the move to form AI super PACs sounds familiar, look no further than the crypto industry’s involvement in the 2024 elections. According to Follow the Crypto, cryptocurrency-focused PACs raised more than $197 million to help elect pro-crypto candidates in states like Ohio, Michigan, California and Arizona. The industry also funneled millions of dollars into Trump’s presidential campaign and inaugural committee. In return, Trump leveraged the newfound crypto support in Congress to establish a strategic crypto reserve and pass the GENIUS Act and Deploying American Blockchains Act — actions meant to accelerate blockchain adoption in the United States.
Given these policy breakthroughs for blockchain technology, it’s no surprise that crypto super PACs are shoring up their funds once again to bolster crypto-friendly candidates during the 2026 midterms. Interestingly enough, one of the most powerful crypto super PACs, Fairshake, counts Andreessen Horowitz among its top donors. The investment firm’s involvement in both crypto and AI lobbying reflects a broader strategy by Silicon Valley to influence the political arena and have the final say on any kind of tech-related regulation.
What Pro-AI PACs Could Mean for the Future of AI Regulation
For Big Tech, AI regulation is only welcome if it helps, not hinders, the technology’s growth. While Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has chastised attempts to deregulate AI, he’s the minority among tech leaders: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang decried U.S. export controls on AI chips; Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg signed an open letter criticizing the European Union’s AI Act; and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has called for “sensible regulation that does not slow us down.”
If ‘sensible regulation’ is what AI companies and lobbyists want, then pro-AI PACs serve as vehicles for ensuring policymakers accelerate AI’s development and remove any legal obstacles in its path. A Congress packed with AI advocates would make it nearly impossible to pass regulations centered on issues like data protection or unethical AI use, while paving the way for Trump to enact his AI Action Plan, including his demand for deregulation.
Keep in mind that deregulation doesn’t mean more access. Only a handful of companies have the resources to build and scale this technology. Deregulating the industry would give them the freedom to rapidly design and deploy advanced AI tools that they may choose not to open source. Cutting off free access to smaller companies, academic researchers and everyday users, these select corporations would rake in greater profits, become the main sources of AI innovation and dictate the direction the technology takes moving forward.
Considering these possibilities, the 2026 midterms are an enormous opportunity to consolidate power — and AI leaders know it. If their election spending pays off, they could very well achieve the deregulation they’ve long desired and tighten their grip on the global AI industry for years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a super PAC, and how does it relate to AI?
A super PAC is a type of political action committee that can raise an unlimited amount of funds from individuals, unions and corporations to promote or oppose a candidate. The only catch is that they can’t contribute to or work directly with any candidate’s campaign. Prominent AI proponents are launching super PACs to help elect pro-AI candidates who will advocate for policies that encourage the expansion of AI development in the U.S.
Which AI super PACs currently exist?
To date, there are two main pro-AI super PACs:
- Leading the Future: A super PAC backed by high-profile tech players, including OpenAI President Greg Brockman and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Its goal is to support candidates of either party who believe in pro-AI policies and oppose candidates who want to hit pause on AI advancement.
- Mobilizing Economic Transformation Across California: A super PAC launched by Meta, with the purpose of helping elect candidates who want AI-friendly policies and are running for office in California. The plan is to load the super PAC with tens of millions of dollars to push for pro-AI candidates, regardless of their party affiliation.
