A new political organization, Innovation Council Action, is poised to inject at least $100 million into midterm campaigns to aggressively promote President Trump’s policies on artificial intelligence. The group, directly linked to the Trump administration, intends to shape the debate around A.I. regulation and support candidates aligned with its agenda.
New A.I. Policy Push
The initiative comes as the White House recently unveiled new A.I. policy guidelines aimed at preempting state-level regulations. Innovation Council Action plans to use its funding to advocate for these federal standards, effectively blocking stricter rules at the state level. This strategy underscores a key tension: the tech industry prefers unified federal oversight over a patchwork of state laws.
The organization is structured as a nonprofit but is expected to establish a super PAC to enable direct support for favored candidates and attacks on those who oppose its A.I. vision. The combination of structures allows maximum flexibility in political spending.
Industry-Wide Investment
This move is part of a larger trend: the A.I. industry is set to spend massively in the midterms. While other political groups backed by the tech sector are taking a bipartisan approach, Innovation Council Action is explicitly aligned with President Trump and the Republican platform. This has caused friction among some conservative officials who believe a more focused GOP effort would be more effective given the existing support for A.I. within the Republican party.
Key Players
The effort’s roots lie in conversations last summer between Michael Sacks, formerly the administration’s A.I. and crypto czar, and Andy Budowich, a Trump ally. Despite Sacks’ recent shift to co-heading the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, he remains the primary liaison between Washington and Silicon Valley. This continuity suggests a sustained commitment from the administration to prioritize A.I. industry interests.
The $100 million investment by Innovation Council Action reflects a calculated effort to dominate the narrative on A.I. policy in the midterms, ensuring that the industry’s priorities are front and center as new regulations take shape. This is just one part of a much larger influx of capital from tech companies into the political arena.
