This AI lobbyist group is running ads during the debate urging leaders to ‘protect America’s AI edge’

While the economy, legal matters, and questions of competency are likely to be the main points of contention between the candidates in Thursday’s presidential debate, one lobbyist group is hoping to steer people’s focus to artificial intelligence.

The American Edge Project (AEP), an industry front group, will air a commercial during the debate pushing lawmakers and candidates to ensure America leads the way in the development of AI technology, rather than letting other nations gain the edge. (Presumably by not regulating the American AI industry too stringently.)

“American leadership in artificial intelligence is crucial for the future of our economy and the success of small businesses across the nation,” said Doug Kelly, CEO of the American Edge Project, in a statement. “However, we must not overlook the threats posed by China and other foreign adversaries aiming to surpass us.”

The AEP is an advocacy group that was formed in 2019 by Meta and other tech organizations. In 2020 and 2021, it fought against antitrust reforms with a series of ads, arguing that small-business innovation could be impacted if the legislation passed. Legislation that passed the House Judiciary Committee and a separate bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee never got a full vote, though, in part due to opposition from Big Tech companies.

CNBC reported Facebook had given the group a $34 million donation to back that battle. AEP’s most recent Form 990 filing with the Internal Revenue Service showed it had revenue of $47.5 million in the 2021 tax year, up from $34 million the year prior. The source (or sources) of those funds were not listed. AEP did not reply to a request for comment on the contributions.

The group’s board of directors is made up of many high-profile names, including former New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, former U.S. Representative Chris Carney, and former Federal Election Commission Chairman Bradley A. Smith.

The ad—featuring Sarah Haggard, founder of a mentorship platform called Tribute, based in Seattle—is the one commercial (out of eight) that will run nationally during the debate. It’s not clear if AEP plans to run it on CNN or one of the other networks carrying the feed of the debate.

Meta’s AI efforts to force AI features onto users of its social media platforms have lately drawn some criticism. Like Google and other AI companies, Meta is rushing to catch up with ChatGPT, though Meta’s large language model is reportedly a formidable rival for GPT-4 technically.

Overseas rivals include China’s ByteDance (parent of TikTok), which is reportedly working with Broadcom to develop an AI processor. The company is also said to have stockpiled Nvidia chips.

The AEP ad that airs Thursday does not specifically mention foreign competitors by company name, but it does note that “foreign competitors like China want to surpass America in AI. Our leaders need to protect America’s competitive edge.”