A look at how a fledgling industry establishes itself politically.
All of this is authorized by the U.S. Constitution's commerce clause. It fits within the context of regulatory policy which we discuss periodically.
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Weeks after OpenAI released its ChatGPT chatbot last year, Sam Altman, the chief executive of the artificial intelligence start-up, launched a lobbying blitz in Washington.
He demonstrated ChatGPT at a breakfast with more than 20 lawmakers in the Capitol. He called for A.I. to be regulated in private meetings with Republican and Democratic congressional leaders. In all, Mr. Altman has discussed the rapidly evolving technology with at least 100 members of Congress, as well as with Vice President Kamala Harris and cabinet members at the White House, according to lawmakers and the Biden administration.
“It’s so refreshing,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut and the chair of a panel that held an A.I. hearing last month featuring Mr. Altman. “He was willing, able and eager.”
Technology chief executives have typically avoided the spotlight of government regulators and lawmakers. It took threats of subpoenas and public humiliation to persuade Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Sundar Pichai of Google to testify before Congress in recent years.
But Mr. Altman, 38, has run toward the spotlight, seeking the attention of lawmakers in a way that has thawed icy attitudes toward Silicon Valley companies. He has initiated meetings and jumped at the opportunity to testify in last month’s Senate hearing. And instead of protesting regulations, he has invited lawmakers to impose sweeping rules to hold the technology to account.
Mr. Altman has also taken his show on the road, delivering a similar message about A.I. on a 17-city tour of South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. In recent weeks, he has met with President Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.
“We think that regulatory intervention by governments will be critical to mitigate the risks of increasingly powerful models,” Mr. Altman said in last month’s Senate hearing.
His charm offensive has put him in an important seat of influence. By engaging with lawmakers early, Mr. Altman is shaping the debate on governing A.I. and educating Washington on the complexities of the technology, especially as fears of it grow. Taking a page out of recent history, he is also working to sidestep the pitfalls that befell social media companies, which are a constant target of lawmakers, and to pave the way for A.I.
His actions may help cement OpenAI’s position at the forefront of a debate on A.I. regulation. Microsoft, Google, IBM and A.I. start-ups have drawn battle lines on proposed rules and differ on how much government interference they want in their industry. The fissures have led other tech chiefs to plead their cases with the Biden administration, members of Congress and global regulators.
