Big tech firms are spending a lot of cash in Washington. Federal and state leaders want to make rules for artificial intelligence.
A group called Issue One studied top tech companies. They looked at big names like Alphabet, Microsoft, Anthropic, and OpenAI. These firms spent $20 million on federal lobbying in early 2026 alone. That is $226,000 every single day. Their spending has almost doubled since 2020.
At first, tech firms just fought bad press. Now, they try to guide new laws. They want to shape the rules for AI before those rules take hold.
The State Preemption Battle
Big tech wants one set of national rules for AI. They do not want each state to make its own rules.
Tech leaders say too many state laws will hurt business. They say it will drive up costs. On March 20, 2026, the White House agreed. It asked Congress for one clear plan for the whole nation. It also wants to make it easy to build new AI projects and help small firms.
Still, many leaders in Washington and state capitals disagree:
- Senate Vote: The U.S. Senate voted 99 to 1 against plans to block state AI laws.
- State Action: In 2025, all 50 states pushed new AI bills. 38 states passed about 100 laws. States still have over 50 new AI bills in the works.
- Party Pushback: Over 50 Republican state leaders wrote to the White House. They want to protect state rights. They say state rules protect consumers and fit right in with their values.
Strategic and Market Implications
AI firms are putting big money into elections, too. They gave almost $200 million to super PACs for the 2026 votes. Earlier, tech leaders gave over $764 million in 2024 and 2025. Nearly three-fourths of that cash went to Republicans. They hope to win support for their rules.
This rule battle will shape the market. Companies that guide federal law will get ahead. Still, people ask a key question: Will all this spending help the public, or will it just help big tech firms?
