A political organization prepared to spend $100 million (approximately 151 billion won) has launched to promote U.S. President Donald Trump's artificial intelligence achievements. The move demonstrates the industry's massive financial firepower behind AI-friendly policies while signaling an intensifying effort to support Trump ahead of the midterm elections.
The political group Innovation Council Action announced on Thursday that it plans to spend at least $100 million on its activities this year, the New York Times reported.
Launched as a nonprofit, the organization will campaign in support of the "AI National Policy Framework" that the White House unveiled on May 20. Its goal is to block the patchwork of differing AI regulations across states and push Congress to establish a national standard.
The framework's key provisions include protecting children from AI-related harms and restricting the federal government from forcing AI companies to remove content for ideological reasons. In practice, the initiative aims to create a unified regulatory approach that would prevent states such as California — where AI regulations are particularly strict — from imposing their own stringent rules, effectively lowering the regulatory burden on the AI industry.
Having amassed its war chest, Innovation Council is expected to establish a separate super PAC entity. A super PAC is a private political organization that raises funds to support specific candidates, parties, or policies in elections. Unlike traditional campaign committees, super PACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts, earning them the nickname "shadow campaign." They are, however, prohibited from coordinating strategy with official campaigns and must maintain independence. Going forward, Innovation Council is expected to formally intervene in elections, backing the Trump administration's AI policies and targeting opposing forces.
The $100 million fundraising figure rivals the direct fundraising levels of major Republican and Democratic presidential candidates. Analysts say the amount serves as a symbolic indicator of the scale of capital the AI industry is pouring into politics.
What sets Innovation Council apart from other political groups of comparable scale is its overt support for the Trump administration. The organization is led by Taylor Budowich, a former White House deputy chief of staff known as a Trump fundraising operative, and has drawn endorsements from prominent figures including David Sacks, who served as the Trump administration's czar for AI and cryptocurrency policy.
