Tech Titans' Influence: How Big Tech Controls Congress Behind the Scenes
Published on: March 10, 2024
Major technology companies, including Microsoft, OpenAI, Google, IBM, and Nvidia, are channeling funds through the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to support fellows working on AI policy in key Senate offices. This initiative is part of a broader trend in Washington, where tech billionaires and companies are increasingly paying the salaries of government staffers involved in AI regulation.
The AAAS's new 'rapid response cohort' of congressional AI fellows, heavily backed by these tech giants, complements the network of AI fellows funded by Open Philanthropy, a group financed by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz. The six fellows in this cohort, highly qualified with PhDs and prior big tech firm experience, are positioned in the offices of influential senators, including those of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's top three lieutenants on AI legislation.
These industry-funded fellows are playing a critical role in shaping Congress's approach to AI regulation, amid growing public skepticism towards the tech industry. The conflict of interest concerns are raised by tech experts who worry that tech-funded figures within Capitol Hill might distract from establishing regulations to protect the public from biased or harmful AI systems.
Sarah Myers West, a former senior advisor at the Federal Trade Commission and managing director at the AI Now Institute, expresses concern about tech firms using their financial power to influence AI policy-making. The companies, however, assert that they do not influence the hiring process; the fellows are chosen by the nonprofits themselves.
The trend of relying on industry-linked fellows is attributed to a decline in in-house tech expertise in Congress. Outside fellowship programs have emerged to fill this void, especially with the recent surge in AI-related legislative activities.
Critics, however, question whether these programs are more of an industry lobbying campaign than a source of neutral expertise. The involvement of tech industry players in funding and coordinating these fellowships, such as Craig Mundie, a former Microsoft executive, raises concerns about the extent of industry influence in AI policy development.
Tim Stretton, director of the congressional oversight initiative at the Project On Government Oversight, highlights the potential conflict of interest when corporations fund staffers working on legislation that could benefit them. Similar concerns are voiced regarding the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's tech fellows, who are supported by companies like Google and Facebook.
The involvement of various organizations such as Schmidt Futures and the Federation of American Scientists in funding tech staffers at the White House and federal agencies further underscores the pervasive reach of tech industry funding in shaping technology policy.
This development poses ethical questions about the influence of corporate funding on policy-making and the potential for conflicts of interest, calling for a closer examination of the relationship between the tech industry and government regulatory bodies.