Staff Reports
Breitbart News has announced a headline policy event in Washington, D.C. titled “AI Is Here: What to Fear, What to Embrace,” scheduled for August 25. The outlet says it is partnering with Innovation Council Action and will host a lineup of tech and government figures to talk about AI policy, national security, and the economic promise of artificial intelligence. If you care about who sets the rules for the AI era, this is the kind of event worth watching — and not because the usual suspects will be panicking on the sidelines.
The event and who’s on the stage
Breitbart’s Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle will moderate a program that reportedly includes Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael, James Proud (Founder & CEO of Substrate), Philip Buckendorf (CEO & co‑founder of Air Space Intelligence), and James Burnham (General Counsel of xAI and X). Innovation Council Action founder Taylor Budowich is listed as a sponsor and has publicly said the group exists to back President Donald Trump’s pro‑AI agenda. That roster signals the event will lean into defense, industry, and legal views — not a kumbaya session of hand‑wringing about the future.
Why this matters: national security, vendors, and jobs
The presence of the Department of War’s top tech official changes this from a think‑tank chat into a policy moment. Emil Michael has been loud about the risks of over‑reliance on single vendors and the need for clear government rights around military AI. Add in the administration’s push for a security review of advanced AI models and you get a real debate about who controls the technology that will shape future battlefields and supply chains. On the economic side, President Donald Trump and his team are pitching AI as a job‑creating boon — an argument conservatives ought to champion while opponents keep predicting doom and decline.
Political context: pro‑AI coalitions are organizing
This Breitbart event fits into a larger, organized push by pro‑industry groups to shape federal AI rules. Innovation Council Action and allied groups have signaled they will spend big to support lawmakers who back federal preemption and industry‑friendly standards. In plain English: there’s a fight in Washington between those who want America to lead and those who want to kneecap the tech sector with heavy regulation. Conservatives who want American workers, American companies, and American defense to win should be paying attention.
A quick verification note — and why it still matters
One practical caveat: independent public listings for this specific August 25 program are sparse beyond the announcement itself. That’s worth noting for reporters and anyone planning to attend. Still, the names and organizations tied to the event are real and active in the AI debate. Whether or not every detail is fully posted yet, the political and policy trajectory is clear: conservative platforms, the Department of War’s tech leadership, and pro‑AI groups are lining up to push an agenda that favors innovation, security, and U.S. leadership. If you care about sensible AI policy rather than fearmongering, mark the date and pay attention to what comes out of this event — it’s where real rules will start to take shape.
