Tech billionaires fund AI safety groups lobbying Washington, critics question motives
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Two AI safety nonprofits funded by tech billionaires recently began directly lobbying Washington to address the alleged existential threat of AI. They call for policies like developer liability and permitting for high-risk systems.
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Critics see these groups as trying to raise barriers to entry for smaller AI firms and shift focus away from more immediate issues like job loss and bias.
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Influential think tanks like RAND Corporation received millions from the nonprofit Open Philanthropy to work on AI policy last year.
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The new lobbying push could directly benefit top AI firms like DeepMind and Anthropic, which donors to groups like CAIP and CAIS are invested in.
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Some see the escalated lobbying as these groups trying to "professionalize" after previously failing to provide practical policies to address abstract AI threats.