A super PAC backed by the artificial intelligence industry on Monday launched a $10 million campaign to push Congress to craft a national AI policy that will override a patchwork of state laws, the group told CNBC.
The campaign from “Leading the Future,” which launched over the summer with more than $100 million in initial funding, signals how the booming industry plans to leverage its wealth and power in next year’s midterm elections.
“There is broad public demand for congressional action and a uniform national approach to AI,” said Nathan Leamer, executive director of “Build American AI,” the PAC’s advocacy arm. “We are excited to have created this platform for Americans excited about the future of AI, to engage their members of Congress and make a difference.”
The campaign will run TV, digital and social media ads, plus organize 10,000 calls to lawmakers’ offices this week alone, according to a memo about the campaign shared with CNBC.
President Donald Trump appears to be convinced already: He wrote on Truth Social last Tuesday that the U.S. “MUST have one Federal Standard instead of a patchwork of 50 State Regulatory Regimes.”
The same day, Leamer posted a picture of himself at the White House, saying he was there to discuss “the need for a national AI framework.”
The PAC’s mobilization comes as the White House and congressional Republicans are working to suppress states’ ability to implement their AI laws.
Several sources familiar with those ongoing discussions told CNBC that the plan is to insert language into one of the must-pass spending bills that Congress is expected to vote on in the next few months.
Meanwhile, a draft executive order that surfaced last week aims to preempt state AI laws by creating a new “AI Litigation Task Force” and threatening to withhold federal funding.
Trump, whose AI-friendly administration has sought to encourage the industry by lowering regulatory barriers, is expected to sign an executive order related to AI later Monday, a senior official told a White House pool reporter.
It is not clear whether that order is the same as, or similar to, the draft order circulating at the White House. The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for clarification. Trump is scheduled to sign an executive order in the Oval Office at 4 p.m. ET.
Leading the Future is backed by numerous AI industry leaders, including venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, AI search-engine company Perplexity and SV Angel founder Ron Conway.
The PAC recently announced its first target of the 2026 midterms: New York Assemblymember Alex Bores, who is running in the crowded Democratic primary for the Manhattan seat held by retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler.
Bores co-sponsored the RAISE Act, which codifies safety protocols for the largest AI companies. The bill has passed the state legislature but has not yet been signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat.
“We should eventually have a federal AI standard. I strongly agree with that,” Bores said Monday morning on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
“But what is being debated right now is, should we stop the states from making any progress before the feds have solved the problem, or should we actually work together to have the federal government solve the problem?” Bores said.
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