New conservative group launches push for tougher AI rules
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A new coalition of conservative groups and advocates for stronger kids' online safety and AI laws launched Monday, as the debate over regulating AI in the U.S. heats up.
Why it matters: The White House just rolled out a light-touch AI framework that is unlikely to satisfy strong proponents of online safety and AI rules, even as some Republicans show growing appetite for a more hands-on approach.
- Republican infighting over the best way to regulate AI is just one hurdle the White House is going to face in trying to get their AI plans over the finish line.
Driving the news: The coalition, Alliance for a Better Future, describes itself as "pro-innovation" and "pro-family advocacy."
- The new group wants "common-sense" guardrails around AI development and is ready to put polling, money and PR campaigns into their fight.
What they're saying: The coalition was launched to fight tech companies that are spending millions to "give AI companies regulatory and legal amnesty and ensure Washington writes the rules their way, while eliminating state protections," CEO Janet Kelly said in a release.
The groups in the new coalition, include the Family Policy Alliance, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), the Institute for Family Studies, the Heritage Foundation and American Principles Project, among others.
Follow the money: The group plans to spend at least eight figures in 2026 to support its advocacy efforts. That will go toward:
- Lobbying at the federal and state level.
- Releasing public advertising and education campaigns featuring "parents, creators and workers" that "highlight harmful decisions of tech executives," per the release.
What we're watching: The group's launch video focuses on public anxiety around AI.
- "83 percent of Americans are worried about where AI is headed. But no one's doing anything about it. Why? Because the richest companies in history are spending hundreds of millions to make sure there are no safeguards, no guardrails on AI," the video says.
- "Are we going to control AI, or is AI going to control us?"
