The revolution will not be computerized
Here’s What You Need To Know
If you are a public affairs professional in any industry, you should know by now that artificial intelligence (AI) and how it is regulated will impact the company or industry you represent. Even if your organization chooses to skip the AI revolution (good luck), your competitors, vendors, customers – even activists who scrutinize your company – will join it.
Revolutions can get messy and information comes at a premium for those in the trenches –especially in a policy fight as fast-moving and pervasive as AI regulation. You are likely familiar with some of the top stories in this AI fight – election disinformation bills, copyright lawsuits, labor concerns, and potential bias in AI models – but behind the scenes is an entire world of policymakers racing to pass hard-hitting, highly-prescriptive mandates and a growing range of stakeholders working equally hard to shape the debate before many firms are paying close attention.
To ensure you can navigate the AI debate in 2024 and understand how it will impact industries far from the tech sector, the analyst team at Delve has identified five key AI trends to watch this year. Here’s what you need to know to stay ahead of the debate, and you can download the full report at Delveinto.AI.
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5 Key AI Trends To Watch In 2024
The Year of Agency Action. After sitting through 9 Senate AI listening sessions last fall, many lawmakers are ready to get their hands dirty with some AI legislating. Yet the chances of major tech legislation moving forward in this election year are slim. Instead, expect federal and state agencies to leap into action. 23 federal agencies have a laundry list of 150 tasks to tackle in 2024, thanks to President Biden’s AI executive order, and state agencies are taking action as well, particularly if state legislators pass a growing wave of AI bills this spring. Sharp public affairs professionals will keep an especially close eye on Washington’s independent agencies, such as the FTC, CFPB, and SEC, where ambitious Biden-appointed agency heads are using existing legal authority to advance restrictions on the use of AI, with Rite Aid learning the hard way what these agencies can already do.
States won’t wait for the Moses of Milford. Connecticut Sen. James Maroney (D), whose district includes the town of Milford, led efforts among state lawmakers to coordinate data privacy bills. Now he has organized more than 100 legislators representing more than 30 states to coordinate common legislative language on AI. When Maroney arrives with his digital tablets, they could be a game-changer across state capitals, adding to what is already shaping up to be a tidal wave of AI bills around the country. Keep an eye on courtrooms as well, where judges may address questions lawmakers are not ready to tackle. Their rulings could upend critical business practices in the AI space, or so The New York Times hopes they do.
EU-sier said than done in Europe. EU officials proclaimed victory on the AI Act in December, but getting everyone on board with the final language may be easier said than done. Some member states worry the prescriptive rules planned for advanced AI models could hinder the development of a home-grown, European AI industry, something French President Emmanuel Macron and the leading European AI companies want. Plus, an expected surge by the populist right in EU parliamentary elections this summer could further complicate the AI policy picture in Brussels. Across the channel, Labor’s anticipated win in UK elections will likely shift that government’s views on AI regulation.
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Tech’s family feud goes public. California’s earthquake watch should be on full alert as fault lines multiply within Silicon Valley’s tech sector. Issues like open source, the existential risk posed by AI, and the distribution of compliance requirements along the AI supply chain are splintering the tech industry. As industry players lobby policymakers on these issues, expect the money they spend and the influence they wield to draw serious media scrutiny, as some tech-backed advocates are already learning.
Transparency will be a hidden cudgel. Powerful stakeholders are joining the AI debate, and transparency will increasingly be their weapon of choice. From labor advocacy to civil rights to consumer data privacy, organizations are making their voices heard in Washington and other capitals. Many lawmakers want to give them a helping hand with a proposed suite of transparency mandates for AI companies. When this transparency is enacted, either through legal mandate or company concession, regulators could use disclosed data to enforce legal requirements or pressure companies to make voluntary changes. Powerful advocacy groups will do the same—and where there aren’t formal transparency rules on the books, they could do their own pressure-testing of any AI tool that hits the market. Expect those results to be made very public.
Enlist now, before the AI revolution conscripts you
If you thought the dozens of elections around the world were the only big public affairs developments in 2024, think again. With so many powerful interests across so many jurisdictions working to shape AI policy this year, keeping track of the AI space is critical for any public affairs professional working in any industry.
It may be easy to track the top 10% of key AI policy developments that reach the headlines, but the law of the public affairs universe means it is something in the other 90% that will impact your interests the most. That’s why we launched Delveinto.AI, where we offer deep-dive risk assessments and daily AI policy and stakeholder tracking across key jurisdiction like Washington, state capitals, Brussels, and beyond. It is the most comprehensive, up-to-date picture you’ll find covering the AI regulatory and stakeholder world.
Head over to Delveinto.AI now to download the full report on these five key trends, and receive a free trial to the daily tracking. You can also reach out to our team directly for a briefing on how the AI policy debate will unfold in 2024.