The East Coast is experiencing the cold shoulder as the battle for AI innovation and business success heats up. Just 18 months after OpenAI released its groundbreaking ChatGPT model, the internet giants’ dominance has set Washington on edge with AI.
Important figures in California’s tech politics are preparing for the worst, hiring extra help to deal with the myriad of laws they’ll face and the dread of potential antitrust investigations. They are upset that lawmakers in Washington are fixated on tech’s mistakes of the past and don’t see AI for what it is: a revolutionary technology.
Politicians who are against Big Tech are most concerned that artificial intelligence would lead to a global consolidation of wealth and power that will be unable to prevent outside influences. Observers foresee another chapter in which big tech companies are going to face some real scrutiny in the near future, particularly on antitrust.
Tech firms are ramping up their employment in preparation for upcoming government disputes, including antitrust lawsuits. A recognized Silicon Valley veteran and former advisor to Al Gore, Chris Lehane, just joined OpenAI. During his lengthy tenure at Airbnb, he expertly guided the company through challenging political seas. Along with his usual fare in politics and the media, he will argue for the expansion of the AI infrastructure. In an attempt to influence the regulatory discussion and redirect attention away from themselves and onto China, the legacy companies are refocusing their lobbying efforts.
Few choices exist, and the costs aren’t ideal for the political elite. The federal government has the power to impede the giants’ progress. Antitrust and other challenges to Google’s business practices have been ongoing for years, but the company’s bottom line has seen little to no effect from these efforts. Regulators are beginning to consider AI’s potential impact at a far earlier stage than they did with preceding technology revolutions. The future uses and challenges of boards of intelligent people are still a mystery.
The politics surrounding artificial intelligence have been and will continue to be quite contentious over the last year.
