MISSION
The world is on the cusp of a new industrial revolution. The high-stakes race to lead in AI innovation will determine who leads the world in the next generation of geopolitical competition. The arsenal needed to control this new battlefield will be the speed of our industrial base, the power of our data centers, and the quality of our microchips – and now is the time to start building it. The United States must lead the way in promoting AI standards that champion American values and combat the encroaching threat of digital authoritarianism that our adversaries seek to export around the world.
Focus Areas / Policy Pillars
Advance American AI Innovation - AI has the potential to lead to revolutionary developments in manufacturing, education, healthcare and many other industries. To achieve these innovations, we must empower American developers by freeing them from a burdensome regulatory regime and coordinating with private sector partners to promote American AI products abroad.
Safeguard the Homeland - With the increasing digitalization of critical U.S. infrastructure comes new vulnerabilities. We must be proactive in securing our digital infrastructure from adversarial and criminal threats.
Ensure Transparency to Promote American Values - The thinking patterns of AI creators will be reflected in their models and influence how those models interpret information. We must ensure that AI models promote American values and not increase the threat of digital totalitarianism that is embedded in adversarial models.
Uphold Human Dignity to Defend the American Way of Life - AI can be harnessed for both great human flourishing, but also for malicious intent. We must ensure that AI deployment serves to improve the quality of life for American workers, children, and families. To do this, we will investigate harmful algorithmic prompts and chatbots used to engage in scams, and guarantee AI deployment does not strip American workers of the dignity that comes from work.
Streamline Government Efficiency & AI Readiness - The adoption of AI technology will lead to more efficient means of production and service delivery in the private sector. By utilizing similar optimization strategies, AI enables the cutting of the federal bureaucracy and the streamlining of government functions.
Team
Latest
Statement
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August 28, 2026
AFPI Responds to Federal Court’s Ruling in Anthropic PBC v. U.S. Department of War
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) respectfully disagrees with the August 27 federal court decision setting aside the Department of War’s designation of Anthropic as a supply chain risk. The ruling gives too little weight to the operational uncertainty created when a mission-critical AI vendor reserves control over lawful military uses of its technology.
Op-Ed
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August 25, 2026
AI, Human Flourishing, and the American Common Good
As Artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates into every corner of our economy and daily lives, too often, lawmakers and developers’ focus are on efficiency, speed, and scale. But there is a more foundational question: What do we, as Americans, want from AI?
Statement
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August 19, 2026
AFPI Responds to Court Proceedings in Meta Cases in NM and CA
Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Joel Thayer, senior fellow for AI and Emerging Technology, regarding two Meta lawsuits: one in New Mexico, from early August, and one in California, which began this week.
Expert Insights
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August 12, 2026
Human Flourishing in the Age of AI
As artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates into every corner of our economy and daily lives, too often, lawmakers’ and developers’ focus is on efficiency, speed, and scale. But there is a more foundational question: What do we, as Americans, want from AI?
Issue Brief
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August 6, 2026
Exporting American AI to Create Jobs, Grow Our Economy, and Beat China
America must export its world-leading AI stack abroad. Promoting the export of American AI technology is one of three pillars in the White House’s AI Action Plan and, as President Trump said, we must “turn America into an AI export powerhouse” (Kratsios et al., 2025). Doing so will create American jobs, grow the economy, and reshore manufacturing.