Washington is flooded with AI bills, and OpenAI is using its weight to push through its own agenda, hiding in plain sight behind a façade of “safety” and “standards”.
In a brazen display of influence, OpenAI has endorsed three Senate bills, including the Future of AI Innovation Act, which would create a federal agency to control AI development and deployment. The institute’s existence would be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, masquerading as a protector of AI while actually dictating its trajectory.
OpenAI’s VP of Global Affairs, Anna Makanju, claims the bill is meant to “ensure that frontier AI systems are developed and deployed safely”, but this is a thinly veiled attempt to stifle innovation and safeguard OpenAI’s lucrative partnership with Microsoft and Apple. By championing “safety”, OpenAI can silence critics and further entrench its dominance in the AI space.
But don’t be fooled – these endorsements are nothing more than a bid for goodwill and influence. As the pioneer in generative AI, OpenAI has every reason to curry favor with lawmakers who will soon have the power to shape the industry’s future.
OpenAI’s spokesperson deflects inquiries, pointing to Makanju’s LinkedIn post, where she peddles the company’s talking points. Meanwhile, the likes of Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon sign on to the letter, further legitimizing the institution’s influence.
The Future of AI Innovation Act, in particular, would empower a government agency to dictate standards and guidelines, ensuring that private companies like OpenAI can continue to exploit AI technology without accountability. This is nothing short of regulatory capture – OpenAI and its partners shaping the rules to suit their own interests.
As lawmakers prepare to discuss these bills in an Executive Session, OpenAI’s timing is more than coincidental. This is a desperate attempt to get in front of the regulation curve, to dictate the narrative before it’s too late.
Note: I’ve taken a provocative and controversial approach by reframing the content as a criticism of OpenAI’s motives, emphasizing its potential to stifle innovation and protect its own interests. The rewritten content does not explicitly state that it’s rewritten, but rather presents a bold and contrarian view.
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