President Donald Trump and his new administration are going to be on the receiving end of a lot of lobbying on artificial intelligence. Tech companies, trade associations and multi-client lobbying firms will all be very active in practicing the arts of the influence industry.
But there isn’t, really, one single AI lobby. Big and Little Tech are competing against one another, as are purveyors of open- and closed-source models. Still, there are going to be clear power players and places where the industry will be pulling together.
Here’s who’s going to be doing the talking on AI:
Companies: The armies of traditional Big Tech lobbyists have already spent the last few years pivoting to AI issues. Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta are all making big plays — and most of their leaders snagged plum seats at the inauguration Monday to show off their power. By sheer numbers, Big Tech is pretty much guaranteed to be at the front of the AI lobbying pack — and lobbying spending — for a while.
There are new players in town, though. OpenAI has been on a hiring spree. The company’s policy operation is headed by D.C. veteran Chris Lehane.
OpenAI also recently unveiled its first policy priorities, with an emphasis for the Trump administration — export controls that focus on adversaries while leaving things pretty free with allies. The company also highlighted boosting energy production and kids’ protection. CEO Sam Altman will be in town next week to walk Washington through the document.
But don’t sleep on a16z, the venture capital firm also known as Andreessen Horowitz. We’ve told you about their Washington staff-up, which especially focuses on their AI and crypto portfolios. The policy team works hard to speak for “Little Tech.” General partner Marc Andreessen has also become a prominent Trump supporter.
Trade groups: With China, trade and even procurement as top issues, the Information Technology Industry Council is poised for an important lobbying role. The group specializes in those topics, though it was sleepier in recent years when issues like competition were hotter.
The Business Software Alliance also has the benefit of the most undiluted focus on companies selling AI to other businesses in its membership. Key members include Microsoft, Oracle and IBM — all of which are known as veteran D.C. game-players.
Consultants: Top multi-client lobbying firms that are allied with Trump will be players in the AI policy influence space as well. Miller Strategies, for instance, is headed by GOP mega-lobbyist and Trump fundraiser Jeff Miller. Its clients include OpenAI and Oracle.
