Is Big Techs AI Patriotism Just Good Business
The Patriotic Pitch AI for America
In early May, OpenAI's Sam Altman presented a compelling story to a Senate committee in Washington. He recounted his youth spent learning to code on American inventions, framing the current AI boom as a continuation of the “spirit of American innovation.” He passionately declared, “I think America is just an incredible and special thing... it will not only be the place where the AI revolution happens but all the revolutions after.”
However, Altman's written testimony contained a crucial, unspoken caveat: this bright future is only possible if “an American-led version of AI, built on democratic values like freedom and transparency, prevails over an authoritarian one.”
This sentiment has become a rallying cry for Silicon Valley. Tech giants have positioned the AI boom as a civilizational clash, primarily against China. They warn that a dominant Chinese AI would export a repressive surveillance state globally. Yet, despite this strong rhetoric, their actions suggest less concern for upholding American freedom and more interest in what America can do for their bottom line.
A Tale of Two Motives Patriotism or Profit
This new, decidedly “America First” flavor in tech is a shift from the previous era's talk of global connection. Dario Amodei, CEO of rival firm Anthropic, wrote that “AI-powered authoritarianism seems too terrible to contemplate,” urging democracies to stay ahead. While Silicon Valley has always embodied certain American ideals like individualism and meritocracy, the current narrative is different.
There are two primary ways to interpret this pivot. The first is that tech companies are strategically aligning with the current political climate, particularly MAGA Republicans and Donald Trump, to curry favor, avoid regulation, and secure profits. The second is that these companies recognize the immense power they now wield—power once exclusive to governments—and feel a genuine responsibility to global citizens. The reality likely lies somewhere in between.
Courting Power How AI Giants Wooed Washington
Since Trump's victory, tech leaders have amplified their warnings about China's AI capabilities in propaganda, espionage, and military power. Anthropic published a report on competing with China, while Alexandr Wang of Scale AI has framed the situation as an “AI war.”
This alignment has become more formal. Executives from OpenAI, Meta, and Palantir recently joined the Army's new Executive Innovation Corps as part-time advisers. Palantir’s CTO, Shyam Sankar, described the unit's goal as “[marrying] the nation’s most innovative private companies with our most important military missions.”
The phrase “democratic AI” has become ubiquitous in lobbying documents and policy proposals from major firms like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Microsoft. Their efforts paid off. The Trump administration's AI Action Plan delivered exactly what they wanted: a green light for development with minimal oversight, effectively outsourcing the future of a critical national technology to the private sector.
The Democratic AI Brand A User Acquisition Strategy
For all the high-minded rhetoric, “democratic AI” also functions as a powerful business strategy. OpenAI recently launched OpenAI for Countries, a project to “spread democratic AI” that essentially markets ChatGPT globally. Companies like Microsoft and Amazon are similarly framing their global expansion as a form of American diplomacy.
This strategy extends to securing lucrative government contracts. OpenAI and Anthropic recently offered federal agencies premier subscriptions for just $1 for the first year, while Google offered a Gemini subscription for 50 cents. The clear goal is to entrench their products within the government, setting the stage for massive enterprise contracts down the line. It's a move reminiscent of the rise of social media digital empires that now wield influence comparable to nation-states.
A Convenient Silence on Democratic Erosion
The AI industry's patriotic fervor is heavily dependent on the President's approval. They need government support for building massive data centers and securing profitable military and federal contracts. This dependency has led to a striking cognitive dissonance.
Leaders who were once critical of Trump have changed their tune. Mark Zuckerberg praised the administration for being “proud of our leading companies.” Sam Altman, once a vocal opponent, has written that he believes Trump “will be incredible for the country in many ways!”
While AI companies warn of authoritarianism abroad, they have remained largely silent as critics accuse the administration of eroding democratic norms at home—from retaliating against political foes to defying the courts. The few instances of pushback have been limited to narrow tech policies, such as Anthropic disagreeing with the lifting of some AI-chip export controls to China.
The Bottom Line Business Before Democracy
When questioned, most major AI firms declined to comment or pointed to public statements reiterating the need to combat authoritarianism by building AI in America. Courtney Bowman of Palantir stated that helping the government run smoothly is important “regardless of the administration in power.”
This rationale, however, feels shallow when the very institutions they contract with are being reshaped by political loyalists. The AI industry's titans seem less concerned with America as a democratic project and more interested in it as a powerful brand, a financier, and a regulatory ally. Their faith in technological acceleration and their own power appears to transcend any deep commitment to the democratic values they so loudly profess to champion.
