The American Innovators Network (AIN) is a U.S. industry lobbying coalition of smaller AI companies and venture capital firms that opposes AI regulations it characterizes as favoring incumbent frontier labs. As of April 2026 it reported 30+ partner companies, including a16z, Y Combinator, Slingshot AI, and Skydio, and uses a "Little Tech" framing against rules that, in its words, "let the biggest players in the room write rules that lock Little Tech out" (Source: washingtonpost.com).
| Type | Industry lobbying coalition |
| Executive Director | Jeremy Kudon (as of April 2026; formerly Sports Betting Alliance) |
| Members (notable) | a16z, Y Combinator, Slingshot AI, Skydio; 30+ total |
| Stated mission | Advocate for "Little Tech" against regulations that "let the biggest players in the room write rules that lock Little Tech out" |
Overview
AIN represents smaller AI companies and venture capital firms against what it describes as regulatory capture by large frontier AI labs. The coalition argues that safety-focused regulations, particularly state laws such as the Colorado AI Act, disproportionately burden smaller companies while entrenching incumbents (Source: washingtonpost.com).
As of April 2026, AIN said its membership had grown to 30+ partner companies and that it had hired Jeremy Kudon as executive director. Kudon previously led the Sports Betting Alliance in its campaign to legalize online sports betting nationwide, and according to reporting was expected to bring similar "bare-knuckle tactics" to AI lobbying (Source: washingtonpost.com).
Activities
AIN operates primarily through state lobbying, described as one of three strategies the AI industry is using against state AI regulations, alongside federal preemption and court challenges. Its "Little Tech" framing is set against the frontier labs' position that safety regulation is necessary for national security (Source: washingtonpost.com).
Reporting has noted several tensions in the coalition's positioning. The "Little Tech" framing covers backers, including a16z and Y Combinator, that fund some of the largest and most well-capitalized AI companies. The coalition's opposition to algorithmic discrimination laws, such as Colorado's, aligns with frontier labs such as xAI while AIN nominally represents smaller players. Its tactics have been compared to earlier tech lobbying efforts (Uber/Lyft, DraftKings/FanDuel) in which industry coalitions defeated consumer protection legislation state by state (Source: washingtonpost.com).
Sources
- AI & Tech Brief: Radical Activists and AI Safety (Source: washingtonpost.com) (2026-04-13)