Meta to launch national super PAC against AI regulation (www.engadget.com)

Meta is launching a national super PAC called the American Technology Excellence Project and is putting “tens of millions” behind electing state-level candidates who oppose what it calls “onerous” AI regulation. The effort — run by Republican operative Brian Baker with help from Democratic firm Hilltop Public Solutions — aims to shape state legislatures after more than 1,000 state-level AI policy proposals emerged this year. Meta frames the push as protecting U.S. competitiveness with China and maintaining tech-friendly state policymaking; details on targeted races, staffing, and exact spending plans have not been disclosed. For the AI/ML community this is consequential: it signals a major platform company moving beyond lobbying to active electioneering to influence the regulatory landscape. If successful, the campaign could produce a patchwork of permissive state rules that accelerate deployment and reduce compliance burdens for industry, but also raise concerns about weakened safety, privacy and ethics safeguards. Conversely, a fragmented state-by-state regime could increase complexity and costs for developers who must navigate varying legal requirements. The move follows other political interventions by Meta (including a California PAC) and comes amid an already mixed federal stance on AI regulation, illustrating how geopolitics and electoral politics are rapidly becoming central to AI governance.