Washington (Associated Press) artificial intelligence The industry has been on a lobbying spree in recent years, hiring a number of powerful figures to help shape potential government action.
This growth isn’t surprising: The technology is being rapidly adopted by powerful sectors such as healthcare, defense and financial services, all of which want a say in potential regulation.
As AI evolves rapidly, think tanks, nonprofits and academia are struggling to keep up with the ever-changing technology, while lawmakers turn to the expertise of lobbyists.
AI industry lobbyists frequently meet with lawmakers and their staff to advise them on the specifics of the technology, relying on PowerPoint slides and briefing materials.
The campaign has been successful, according to lawmakers and lobbyists, who point to the lack of progress on legislation to regulate AI, one of the most complex and thorny policy challenges facing the federal government.
What’s going on?
Lobbyists in Washington are competing for clients with an interest in AI, reflecting the technology’s growth and Congress’s search for the best way to regulate the industry.
According to Open Secrets ResearchAccording to a watchdog group that monitors political finance, the number of groups lobbying on AI jumped to 460 in 2023, up more than 190% from 2022. The number of groups increased slightly in 2024 to 462. The groups behind these lobbyists include: Top companies and industry groups behind the AI boomThey range from business networks like the Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable to corporations like Microsoft, Intuit and Amazon.
A big reason for the growth is that AI touches many aspects of life, from healthcare and education to national security and the risks of disinformation.
AI companies are trying to thwart European-style regulation
The main goal of these lobbyists is to convince Washington that fears around AI are exaggerated and that the United States does not need to follow the European Union. It passed its first set of regulations earlier this year. Along with the Artificial Intelligence Act.
“The constant theme is not doing what the EU did. There’s this cliche: ‘The EU is a regulatory superpower,'” Rep. Don Beyer said. Virginia Democrat focuses on AI“We are yet to hear any voices defending the EU.”
So far, Congress has only taken a light approach to AI. While it’s unlikely that any bills will pass both houses before the November election, some lawmakers believe they’re necessary because AI using complex computing techniques could create realistic but fake images, audio and video, leading voters to question what they see and hear and undermining confidence in elections.
How are they doing it?
AI lobbyists spend a lot of time explaining how the technology works.
While these lobbyists continue to hold events in the nation’s capital and raise funds for their campaigns, they are also positioning themselves as a source of information about the changing industry and working to educate lawmakers.
“When it comes to AI, we’re pushing for an open door in Congress,” said Craig Albright, a top lobbyist and senior vice president at the company. Software Alliance“They want to get educated,” said the industry group, which includes Microsoft, OpenAI, IBM and others.
Albright called this work “the main work we do.”
Varun Crovi, a tech industry lobbyist, said such education campaigns are effective because they build a level of trust between lobbyists and lawmakers.
“This is a powerful way to establish and strengthen relationships with members and staff because you’re not asking them to support bill X or oppose bill Y,” said Clovy, who is director of government relations and public policy at the AI Safety Action Fund Center.
“Really taking a step back and saying, we’re here to answer your technical questions and tell you why you should listen to us. That’s a very powerful thing,” Clovi said.
Skeptics of how to regulate artificial intelligence say that power is due in part to outside groups like academia and nonprofits being unable to keep up with the AI companies and industry groups that are influencing Congress. Scholars say lawmakers are more likely to listen to representatives of well-known tech companies than to more impartial experts.
Where are the think tanks and academia?
For now, Congress listens mainly to industry-linked lobbyists, lobbyists and academics say. Academia and nonprofits that provide nonpartisan research and analysis on issues ranging from AI adoption to the threat it poses to society have not kept up with technological developments. Cutting-edge research is produced by for-profit companies that can afford the best equipment and researchers.
“It’s very hard for academia to fight this massive lobbying effort,” says Max Tegmark, a professor of AI at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “It feels like trying to explain something to someone in the front row at a heavy metal concert.”
MIT and other groups are meeting with lawmakers about AI — MIT has hosted lawmakers in Boston for the past two years and has held similar briefings in Washington — and nonprofits are doing the same.
“We are trying to keep up, but academia has a big challenge in terms of access to computing resources, which is one of the problems industry has right now,” As-Ozdagullah said. Dean of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science At MIT, “we’re keeping up, we’re doing research, but we need access to those resources to stay in the game.”
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