Meta is flexing its financial muscle, committing tens of millions of dollars through a newly formed super PAC. This substantial investment aims to counter state politicians nationwide who aren’t seen as sufficiently backing the artificial intelligence sector, marking a significant deepening of the tech giant’s foray into political influence.
Named the American Technology Excellence Project, this new super PAC is Meta’s second such initiative in just a month. It follows the earlier creation of Meta California, which focuses specifically on AI policy within California. While Meta stated it would initially funnel “tens of millions” of dollars into these two groups, it refrained from providing exact figures.
Brian Baker, a Republican strategist co-leading the new PAC, emphasized their mission: “We need state legislators who will champion our tech future, not surrender it to global competitors.”
Tech behemoths like Meta, Google, Apple, and OpenAI are pouring billions into AI development, locked in a fierce global race for technological supremacy, particularly against Chinese rivals. Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, recently revealed at a dinner with President Trump that his company plans to invest a staggering $600 billion into constructing the data centers necessary to fuel this advanced technology.
These new super PACs signal a far more assertive stance by Meta in the political arena. Historically, Meta’s political engagement was largely confined to a smaller, federally regulated PAC with spending limits, complemented by support for a handful of politically active nonprofit organizations.
With these bold new initiatives, Meta is poised to become a dominant financial force in the 2026 midterm elections. The entire AI industry is gearing up for significant political battles in the upcoming midterms; for instance, venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman recently committed $100 million to their own AI-focused super PAC.
This latest Meta PAC will be steered by Mr. Baker, now a key advisor to Mark Zuckerberg, in collaboration with the Democratic consulting firm Hilltop Public Solutions.
While Meta hasn’t specified which states will be targeted by its new PAC, the political landscape for AI is already bustling. Over 1,100 AI-related bills have been introduced across almost all 50 states this year, with New York, New Jersey, Texas, and California leading the legislative charge.