Just before the midterm elections, OpenAI hired Jessica Schumer, the daughter of Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer. The company also announced that it will begin calling its data centers “computing campuses.”
Over the past two years, many of Silicon Valley’s biggest companies have forged close ties with President Donald Trump and his administration. Several people attended White House events, some companies scaled back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, and some executives donated millions of dollars to super PACs supporting campaigns and allied candidates.減税、一部の連邦捜査の一時停止、AI規制の緩和などの行政政策も業界に恩恵をもたらした。 Meanwhile, Meta faced lawsuits and billions of dollars in fines, and OpenAI faced lawsuits alleging that its technology harmed users.
Now, with the midterm elections shifting the balance of power in Washington, these companies are working to rebuild their relationship with Democrats who have promised increased oversight of AI. The extent to which that happens may depend less on image polish and more on where the real battles are taking place: in state capitals, in local communities deciding whether to locate data centers, and, as we saw last week, in markets watching the AI boom.
J.B. Branch, director of federal AI governance and technology policy at Public Citizen, a nonprofit advocacy group that describes itself as nonpartisan, said the tech industry “recognizes it has some optics.”彼はシューマー氏の雇用やブランド変更などの動きを「PRウォッシュ」と特徴づけた。 He also mentioned OpenAI’s partnership with the American Federation of Teachers announced last year, as well as Anthropic’s newly launched Claude Corps and Meta’s America’s Workforce Academy, and hopes for more. “I envision more such investments in business and public-private partnerships,” he said.
こうした取り組みは一夜にして生まれたものではありません。 As the likelihood of a Democratic victory in the midterm elections increases, Meta and other tech companies have reportedly begun looking for ways to strengthen ties with the Democratic Party. Asked for comment on the impact of the midterm elections on Meta, a company spokesperson pointed TechCrunch to a statement Meta president Dina Powell McCormick made this week on WSJ Tech: 「アメリカ国民が選んだ政府と協力しなければならない」とマコーミック氏は述べた。 “I’ve seen it across the board that it has to be bipartisan and I want it to be bipartisan because we want people to buy into what we’re trying to do.”
誰もが彼らに働くことを期待しているわけではありません。 Alice Marwick, research director at the tech policy nonprofit Data and Society, said Big Tech companies “will try to move back toward the center, if not the left. But it’s a little too late.” “Technology companies should ask themselves how their products can improve people’s lives, because right now it doesn’t seem like that.”
The industry could face an even tougher environment if Democrats follow through on their promises to increase oversight of AI and Big Tech.データセンターの一時停止が勢いを増しており、AI規制法案の波が起草を待っている。 At the same event, Powell-McCormick said Meta wanted to show that communities that welcome investment have “tremendous benefits” while communities that don’t want investment “of course have the right to stop investing.”
それでも、今後2年間はワシントンで政治的行き詰まりが生じる可能性がある。 Aryan Ranjan, founder of political election management software company Baraza, said most action will likely take place at the state level because states have already sued tech companies and passed regulations. As for what to expect at the federal level, he said, “A coalition built around new working-class voters is likely to push Democrats to frame AI around electricity prices, data center locations, and jobs, rather than abstracting away from AI safety.”
Last December, the Trump administration signed an executive order creating the AI Litigation Task Force, a federal group that challenges state AI laws. The administration has insisted that U.S. AI companies “must be free to innovate without burdensome regulations.” Nevertheless, many states have passed their own laws that include measures against chatbots and deepfakes.
It also remains to be seen how President Trump will react, whether he will sign more AI executive orders or veto legislation that could be seen as anti-AI. It’s clear that voters want stronger guardrails for technology.
In a statement to TechCrunch, White House officials said, “America’s leadership in superintelligence is essential to national security, economic prosperity, and the quality of life for Americans. President Trump is committed to ensuring that the United States continues to lead the world in superintelligence while protecting American consumers. As the President has said, we are ready to work with anyone to continue delivering victories to hardworking Americans.”
ブランチ氏は、トランプ氏の政治的運命は今やAI産業に結びついていると主張した。 On Wednesday, the day after the midterm elections, a multi-trillion dollar market crash stunned investors, some of whom are now reportedly reconsidering Anthropic’s supposed multi-trillion dollar IPO. Mr. Branch predicted the possibility of a market collapse, saying, “It is very likely that the AI bubble will burst, but it will happen at the hands of Trump.” 「彼はAI業界とともに沈みたいのか、それとも一緒に泳ぎたいのか?」
At this time, the rules that businesses face may vary depending on their location. “Over the next two years, AI rules for companies may depend more on where they operate than on what the government in Washington passes,” Ranjan said.
If you buy through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This does not affect editorial independence.
