Ask the newsroom: Tech Policy impacts of the 2024 election

Summary

Axios Pro and Quorum have partnered to develop an integrated policy news and software solution for public affairs professionals. The tool combines Axios Pro's policy news with Quorum's software, streamlining access to hyper-relevant industry news and legislative tracking. The discussion highlighted potential tech policy impacts of the 2024 election, focusing on AI, privacy, and content regulation under different presidential and congressional scenarios. It also touched on the future of the CHIPS Act, the digital divide in education, and the likelihood of federal AI and data privacy standards.

Takeaways

• 🤝 Public affairs professionals are seeking efficiency in tracking news and policy, prompting a partnership between Axios and Quorum to develop an integrated policy news and software solution.
• 📰 Axios Pro's content, focusing on policy, healthcare, energy, and tech, will be integrated into Quorum's legislative tracking workflow to enhance public affairs strategies.
• 🔗 The partnership aims to provide a unified platform where professionals can access news, analyze bills, and view policy maker profiles, streamlining the policy analysis process.
• 🚀 The integration is currently available for Quorum Federal and Axios Pro policy customers, offering a comprehensive tool for policy professionals.
• 🗳️ The discussion highlighted potential impacts of the 2024 election on tech policy, with scenarios including a Trump or Harris victory and their respective effects on legislative priorities.
• 🛠️ Under a Trump victory with a divided Congress, expect a deadlock on tech issues like privacy but a focus on grievances about content and alleged bias, and a hands-off approach to AI controls.
• 🌐 With Harris in office and a divided Congress, there could be a push for legislation on non-consensual sexual imagery online and an emphasis on civil rights, privacy, and children's online safety.
• 🏦 The Chips and Science Act is seen as a significant legislative achievement with long-term impacts, despite current challenges in funding allocation and political focus.
• 💼 Opportunities exist to strengthen ties between tech and workforce policies, addressing the need for skilled workers in the tech sector through government, company, and university collaborations.
• 📉 Section 230 is not currently a priority for repeal, with Congress showing little progress towards altering the legislation, despite past discussions and debates.
• 📈 The next Administration is expected to continue prioritizing the establishment of federal AI and data privacy standards, although the actual implementation and regulation may be slow due to competing interests and innovation concerns.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the partnership between Axios and Quorum?

The partnership aims to create an integrated policy news and software solution that combines Axios Pro content and Quorum software tools natively on the Quorum platform.

How does the integrated tool benefit public affairs professionals?

Public affairs professionals can get hyper-relevant industry news from Axios Pro on policy, healthcare, energy, and tech, alongside related Bill text and key policymaker profiles on Quorum, helping them understand the full policy landscape and increase policy wins.

What kind of alerts can users expect from the Quorum software?

Users can get customized alerts from Quorum for mentions of their issue and organization across news and primary sources.

What is the significance of the 'Newsroom Policy Impacts of the 2024 Election' event?

The event is a live conversation and Q&A led by Axios Pro tech policy reporters and a senior policy editor, discussing the potential impacts of the 2024 election on tech policy.

What are the expected outcomes of a Trump or Harris victory on tech policy?

A Trump victory with a divided Congress might lead to a deadlock on tech issues like privacy but with a focus on grievance-based complaints about content. A Harris victory could see a push for civil rights and privacy, especially concerning kids online.

How might a Republican sweep under Trump affect AI controls and international relations?

A Republican sweep could lead to a more hands-off approach on AI controls, a focus on competing with China, and a more isolationist perspective in international relations regarding online freedom and AI principles.

What tech-related legislation is expected to move in the waning days of the current Congress?

Some AI bills related to research bodies and government AI resources allocation are expected to pass, likely in the defense bill.

What is the legacy of the Chips and Science Act, and what could be its next steps?

The legacy of the Chips and Science Act will crystallize in years to come with economic growth and job creation. Next steps might include extending and expanding the tax incentives under the law.

How can the next Administration address the growing need for skilled workers in the tech sector?

The next Administration could focus on funding for workforce training programs, high-skilled immigration policies, and regulatory fixes to improve visa processes for skilled workers.

What is the current status of Section 230 and its prospects under a Trump or Harris presidency?

Congress is not close to repealing Section 230. If Trump wins, he might talk about it more but is unlikely to repeal it. A Harris presidency might not focus as much on Section 230.

What are the prospects for AI legislation with bipartisan potential in the next year?

Bipartisan potential in AI legislation could include issues like deep fakes, protecting creators online, and setting up air rights. The AI task force in the House is expected to release a report outlining top priorities for AI legislation.

Outlines

00:00

📰 Partnership for Integrated Policy News and Software Solution

The paragraph introduces a partnership between Axios and Quorum to develop a comprehensive news and information tool tailored for public affairs professionals. This collaboration aims to integrate Axios Pro's policy news content with Quorum's legislative tracking software, creating a unified platform. The tool will streamline access to industry news across sectors like healthcare, energy, and technology, alongside relevant bill texts and policymaker profiles, enhancing strategic planning and policy wins. The partnership is particularly beneficial for professionals who require a consolidated source of information to execute effective public affairs strategies.

05:01

🏛️ Tech Policy Predictions Post-2024 Election

This segment delves into potential tech policy scenarios following the 2024 election, depending on the presidential victory. A Trump win with a divided Congress might lead to legislative deadlock but increased scrutiny on content bias and a lighter approach to AI regulations. Conversely, a Harris win could prioritize issues like non-consensual imagery and push for civil rights and privacy protection, especially for children online. The discussion anticipates varied approaches to international relations, particularly with China, and the potential impact on American companies and global AI principles under different administrations.

10:03

💡 Tech Policy and Workforce Development

The conversation shifts towards the intersection of tech policy and workforce development, emphasizing the need for skilled workers in the tech sector. It discusses the role of government, companies, and educational institutions in training programs and the challenges of funding these initiatives. The paragraph also touches on high-skilled immigration as a means to address workforce shortages, with potential policy changes like the STEM Talent Act and regulatory fixes to visa programs to retain skilled workers.

15:04

🌐 Addressing the Digital Divide in Education

This section highlights efforts to bridge the digital divide in education, ensuring equal access to technology and skills for all students. It discusses the importance of connectivity, particularly during the pandemic, and the role of infrastructure bills in allocating funds for internet access. The conversation also addresses the expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program and its implications for student connectivity. The paragraph underscores the need for continued focus on tech policy to support educational equity.

20:06

🤖 AI Legislation and its Bipartisan Potential

The final paragraph focuses on the prospects for AI legislation, particularly those with bipartisan support. It mentions the 'No Fakes Act' and the 'CREATE AI Act' as potential legislative priorities, aiming to protect individuals' likeness and creativity in the age of generative AI. The discussion also includes the role of government agencies in regulating AI, using existing laws to address new applications of technology. The paragraph concludes with anticipation for a report from the AI task force in the House, which will likely outline key legislative priorities for the coming year.

Keywords

💡Public Affairs Professionals

Public affairs professionals are individuals or entities engaged in shaping public policy and public opinion. They often work for government agencies, non-profits, or private corporations to manage their relationships with the public and policymakers. In the context of the video, these professionals are overwhelmed with the amount of news and policy they need to track, highlighting the need for efficient tools to manage their workload.

💡Context Switching

Context switching refers to the process of moving attention or resources from one task to another. It is often considered inefficient because it can lead to a loss of productivity due to the time it takes to refocus on a new task. The video discusses the inefficiency of switching between multiple platforms for public affairs professionals, emphasizing the need for an integrated solution.

💡Axios Pro

Axios Pro is a subscription-based news service that provides policy news and analysis. It is mentioned as part of a partnership to create a premier news and information tool for policy professionals. The service is expected to offer hyper-relevant industry news, which is crucial for professionals who need to stay informed on policy developments.

💡Quorum

Quorum is a software platform that integrates with Axios Pro to provide an integrated policy news and software solution. It is designed to help public affairs professionals by combining news content with legislative tracking tools, enabling them to get information and execute strategy in one place. This integration is a key feature of the partnership discussed in the video.

💡Policy News

Policy news refers to the latest information and analysis related to government policies, regulations, and legislative activities. In the video, policy news from Axios Pro is highlighted as a critical component of the integrated tool being developed for public affairs professionals, helping them to stay informed and make strategic decisions.

💡Legislative Tracking

Legislative tracking is the process of monitoring the progress of bills and legislation through governmental bodies. The video mentions that public affairs professionals can bring policy news into their legislative tracking workflow, which is essential for understanding how policy changes may affect their work or the industries they represent.

💡Policy Analysis

Policy analysis involves the examination and interpretation of policies to understand their potential impact and effectiveness. The video discusses the importance of having concise, actionable policy analysis available alongside key policymaker profiles and bill texts, which can help professionals understand the full policy landscape.

💡Customized Alerts

Customized alerts are notifications tailored to specific interests or requirements. In the context of the video, Quorum offers customized alerts for mentions of issues and organizations across news and primary sources, which can help public affairs professionals stay updated on relevant developments in real-time.

💡Tech Policy

Tech policy refers to the regulations, guidelines, and laws that govern technology-related activities and innovations. The video discusses various scenarios of the 2024 election and their potential impacts on tech policy, including privacy, AI controls, and international trade, which are crucial for the tech industry and those who track its policy developments.

💡Section 230

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is a U.S. law that provides immunity to online platforms for content posted by their users. The video script mentions discussions around the potential repeal of Section 230, which has been a contentious issue due to its implications for free speech and content moderation on the internet.

💡Digital Divide

The digital divide refers to the gap between those who have access to technology and the internet and those who do not. The video touches on the issue of the digital divide in education, emphasizing the need for tech policy to ensure that all students have the necessary technology and skills to succeed in a tech-driven future.

Highlights

Public affairs professionals face challenges tracking news and policy across multiple platforms.

Forum and Axios are partnering to create an integrated policy news and software solution.

The partnership combines Axios Pro content with Quorum software tools on the Quorum platform.

The integrated tool aims to streamline information access and strategy execution for public affairs professionals.

Axios Pro provides hyper-relevant industry news in policy, healthcare, energy, and tech sectors.

Users can access policy news and analysis alongside related bill text and policy maker profiles on Forum.

Quorum offers customized alerts for issue and organization mentions across news and primary sources.

The tool helps build unified strategies with policy analysis and key legislative information.

The partnership is available for Quorum Federal and Axios Pro policy customers.

A live conversation and Q&A session is led by Axios Pro tech policy reporters and a senior policy editor.

The discussion explores the impacts of a Trump or Harris victory on the United States' critical sectors.

A Trump victory with a divided Congress may lead to deadlock on tech issues like privacy and section 230.

A Harris victory could see a focus on civil rights, privacy, and kids online, with potential building on the executive order.

A Trump victory with a Republican sweep may result in low-level AI regulation and an America First approach to online speech.

A Harris victory with a Democratic sweep could see the Kids Online Privacy Act and comprehensive privacy legislation.

The discussion also covers the potential for tech-related legislation in the waning days of the current Congress.

The CHIPS and Science Act is highlighted as a significant legislative accomplishment with long-term economic impacts.

Opportunities to drive stronger connections between tech policy and workforce policy are discussed.

The digital divide in education is identified as an area where tech policy can ensure equal access to technology for students.

The likelihood of establishing a federal AI and data privacy standard under the next Administration is considered.

The prospects for a CHIPS Act 2.0 are discussed in the context of US-China competition.

The discussion concludes with insights into the prospects for AI legislation with bipartisan potential in 2025.

Transcripts

public affairs professionals are

overwhelmed with the amount of news and

policy they need to track context

switching between multiple platforms is

inefficient forum and axios who of the

leading brands in public affairs are

partnering to create a Premier News and

information tool for policy

professionals the partnership will

create an integrated policy news and

software solution that combines axio Pro

content and Quorum software tools

natively on the Quorum platform public

affairs professionals like you work best

when they can get information and

execute strategy all in one place now

bring the hyper relevant industry news

from axio Pro polic Healthcare energy

and Tech Pericles into your legislative

tracking workflow in Forum to inform

your public Affair strategy see policy

news and Analysis from exio reporters

side by side with related Bill text and

key policy maker profiles on Forum

helping you understand the full policy

landscape and increase your policy wins

get customized alerts from Quorum for

mentions of your issue and organization

across news and primary sources now with

references from axio Pro policy build a

unified strategy with concise actionable

policy analysis combined with the most

important bills and legislator dialogue

in

Quorum now available for Quorum Federal

and axos pro policy customers

all righty hello everyone I'm Michael

Haber director of client Partnerships

with axios Pro I'm thrilled to welcome

you to ask The Newsroom policy impacts

of the 2024 election a live conversation

and Q&A led by axos Pro Tech policy

reporters Ashley Gold and Maria curri

and our moderator senior policy editor

McKenzie wer

today Ashley and Maria will unpack the

profound stakes and impacts of a trump

or Harris Victory exploring how such

outcomes could shape the United States

most critical sectors we'll follow up

with our Deep dive Q&A beginning with a

few pres submitted questions and then

taking live audience questions which we

invite you to type into the chat stick

around for a minute after today's

webinar to learn more about how axus Pro

can deliver smarter faster news and

Analysis for your

organization now before we dive into

discussion I want to take a quick moment

to ask about the issues that are most

relevant to your role industry so we can

get a sense of where our audience stands

if you could see please take a few

seconds to answer the poll on your

screen

all righty so let's look at the poll

here looks like it's split pretty evenly

but it looks like a lot of you are

keeping an eye on staying up to date on

AI policy regulation and we'll cover the

other three as well so now without

further Ado please welcome our axio Pro

Tech policy reporters Ashley Gold and

Maria Curry and our senior policy editor

McKenzie

wer thanks Michael uh we'll get things

started today with a look at four likely

scenarios uh from this year's election

and the impacts on Tech policy Ashley

and Maria will walk us through a couple

of those and then we're GNA jump to some

of your pres submitted questions but

please know that you can at any time

submit questions in the chat and we'll

get to them uh today or at a future date

um so I guess why don't we jump in and

start right with a trump Victory divided

Congress scenario what do you guys see

happening to Tech policy what do you see

happening on the hill right thanks

McKenzie and thanks to everyone who

tuned in um so if Trump takes the White

House and we have a divided Congress um

we're expecting there to be deadlock on

many of the tech issues privacy section

23 that we have largely been seeing um

but with Trump in the white house we do

expect more of a focus on grievance

based complaints about content and

alleged bias um we also expect a more

hands-off approach on AI controls and as

um they have promised a complete repeal

of the AI executive order I think one

thing that is important to remember

though is that most of that executive

order will already be implemented anyway

um one important provision in there

though that could go away is the

reporting requirement for the most

powerful AI tools which is currently

being implemented um we could also see

uh Trump being more likely to seek to

punish foreign countries for laws that

might take aim at American companies um

whether that's through taxes or other

privacy laws and um and punitive actions

through there if Harris takes the White

House and we continue to have a divided

Congress

um we kind of got a taste of this this

morning um we can see

non-consensual sexual imagery online

being an issue and having you know this

morning we just saw that companies were

asked to sign on to voluntary

commitments and we can continue to see

that issue being really highlighted

under a Harris

Administration um we could also see her

pushing Congress to build on the

executive order with more of an emphasis

on civil rights and privacy and kids

online those two issues will stay top of

mind but the same issues that you know

have plagued these these two issues from

progressing are likely to continue um I

think a lot of people are also waiting

to see how Harris is going to

distinguish herself from Biden on trade

and whether she'll actually pursue deals

that encourage crossb data

flows if we see a trump victory in a

republican sweep of both houses of

Congress um we can expect to see um a

lot of the same same Trends we saw the

the the first time he was in office but

with Republicans at the helm of Congress

um we'll probably see a focus on AI that

is more hands off than what the

Democrats and Republicans have been

working on together a a focus more so on

competing with China and making sure the

US leads on AI and in in my estimation

that will mean pretty lowlevel

regulation and you know insuring

companies can do what they want to do um

that might pose a challenge for the

industry because there's probably going

to be a lack of willingness to spend

money on research and R&D which they've

all said is um necessary for that sort

of competition in AI advancement so we

could see some tensions there due to the

lack of wanting to spend and add to the

deficit um there will be a focus on

social media alleged bias could see Elon

Musk playing a big role in you know

making sure X is the place for

conservatives online to speak freely um

I see companies like YouTube and meta

once again being in the crosshairs of

the White House in Congress uh you know

being written letters being called up to

testify if they take down content that

has to do with um Republican issues

could be vaccines could be um it could

be anything um there will definitely be

um a big focus on China like I said and

probably just in general more of an

isolation perspective when it comes to

you know sort of being on the world

stage with other G7 countries when it

comes to like online freedom and AI

principles and online speech principles

I think it'll be sort of America First

also on the internet rhetoric and a

little less of a Global Perspective

there and um I do expect that the

justice department and the Federal Trade

Commission would be filled with um Le

less aggressive lead ERS um there would

be probably a move back toward a more

traditional sense of antitrust although

I will note that most of the cases going

on today did start under the first Trump

Administration but overall I think the

sort of vision and the goals of a doj

and FTC Under full Republican would

would shift back more toward the pro the

pro bus World um if we get a Harris

Victory and a democratic sweep a lot of

democratic priorities could get get done

that includes the kids online Privacy

Act um the kids online safety act uh

potentially comprehensive primary

legislation uh there should be a lot of

emphasis on protecting civil rights

whether that's through AI bills or other

bills that have to do with deep fakes

sexual images online um could see the

house Judiciary Committee if they're

under Democratic control getting back to

some of the tech antitrust initiatives

that they were working on prior to the

Republican flip and Jim Jordan taking

the lead um and the doj and FTC I think

will continue to be aggressive on

antitrust um because um kamla has been

talking on the trail about monopolies

and big business wanting to reel in big

business and get um prices down for

customers she hasn't really focused on

Tech in that regard but overall um

tackling

monopolies and uh making the economy

fair for people by doing that is is part

of her platform so I don't see her

backing off

there thanks that's a great overview of

of what we can expect next year under

some potential scenarios we do have a

lot of great questions from you guys as

well and and keep them coming in the

chat why don't we just uh head over and

tackle some of those ones that were

submitted in advance um yeah let's head

off into the first key question so what

tech related legislation if any do you

expect to move in the waning days of

the8 Congress if the answer is none and

how could that be uh What typ

legislation will be the top priority in

the 119th Congress so we don't think

nothing's going to pass we think there

will be a sprinkling of activity um most

of all we will see some AI bills pass

likely in the uh the defense bill um

those are AI bills that sort of have to

do with just like setting up research

bodies um making sure or different um

government agencies are thought of as

the go-to for AI research it directs

different um sources of money and

expertise to agencies we already have to

sort of be focusing on AI in a new way

none of the bills that will make the

ndaa at least in our estimation now are

like hugely consequential bills that

would affect how Foundation models work

or how companies can can use their um

their AI technology it's mostly about

sort of fixing the government so that

we're using our AI resources correctly

none of them are like huge um so once we

see the latest ndaa Amendment we'll have

a better idea of which AI bills may pass

like I said before there's a hesitation

on the house side especially from GOP

leadership to spend a lot of money so

the original huge investment Chuck

Schumer wanted to make in AI like he

outlined in his report I I don't see

that money getting out allocated this

year um which will cause problems down

the line um we do think that the

comprehensive privacy bill um APPA is

pretty hopeless for this Congress um

where we might see something actually

happen is kids online privacy

legislation as we reported this morning

there's a lot of um outstanding issues

there and disagreements and it's looking

a little Bleak for the kids online

safety act in Copa 2.0 right now but

it's not dead yet so definitely tracking

that um and other than that um the main

policy issues that we that we track um

whether that's Broadband or 230 nothing

else on the docker for this year that we

we expect to come through uh yeah that's

all right just to um dig a little bit

deeper into the items that are being

pushed for in the ndaa this year some of

those include expanding the use of

multicloud Technology by the defense

department and across the government and

that's particularly in the procurement

of AI systems um you have a big push

right now as well for amendments that

require the use of the nist AI uh risk

management framework um a lot of

amendments in player right now that

would authorize nare and also some

Quantum related um amendments for the

Department of defense's use so those are

some of the items that we could

potentially expect to see in the

NDA great yeah and we'll be tracking all

of that the ndaa year on spending

package add-ons uh in our newsletter so

be sure to keep reading um I think we're

ready for the next question now this is

a fun one what do you think the Legacy

and next steps will be for the chips and

science act so this was um one of the

Biden administration's biggest

accomplishments on the hill and

throughout his first term and it's

something that he touted a lot on the

campaign Trail um but something that a

lot of Republicans are also talking

about as um they run for reelection even

those that didn't vote in favor of it

and so I'm not so sure that for the few

voters that are seeing this as an issue

which is it's not very many that it's

even um being related so directly to

Biden um I think the legacy of the chips

and science Act is really going to

crystallize years from now when you

start to see these investments in these

communities actually result in economic

growth gr and in new jobs but for now

this money is barely just getting rolled

out and it's hard to link that to this

election and to the Biden haris

Administration that being said chips

more broadly in the context of us China

competition we de we did see that come

up very briefly in the debate this week

um so we can expect it to be a talking

point and something that both candidates

will seize on but the chips and science

act itself I don't think is very popular

in the minds of of many voters at least

for now

all right I think we're ready for the

next question then do you see

opportunities to drive stronger

connections between Tech policy and

Workforce policy how might the next

Administration address the growing need

for skilled workers in the tech sector

sure um and if I could just go back I I

don't think I answered the second part

of that question um in terms of next

steps we do expect the implementation

process at the Department of Commerce to

continue largely untouched we don't

think this is something that a bid

administ ation would really get in the

way of one area though that could be

emphasized more is we are expecting

industry groups to push for um extending

and expanding the tax incentives that

are under the law so that is something

to watch out for um on the next question

um there are a lot of opportunities to

Link tech and Workforce policies right

now um there's a massive Workforce

shortage in this country and that's

something that people across the

political Spectrum agree on um and

you're seeing right now a lot of

government company and universities

coming together for these programs to

train people and that's from early

childhood education um through

apprenticeships and I don't see those

being disrupted as you know NSF and all

these various agencies roll them out um

the key is ensuring that these agencies

are actually funded to roll out these

programs and that's where politics kind

of gets in the way as we're seeing

funding fights right now underway um a

lot of these agencies are underfunded

and it's unlikely as Ashley has stressed

that with a republican controlled house

and potentially with a republican

Administration that any more money is

going to be funneled for that um so

that's domestic Workforce the second

aspect of this is high-skilled

immigration um this is again another

opportunity for the administration in

Congress um to make it easier for

skilled immigrants to come and stay in

the US because it's widely known that

the domestic Workforce isn't going to be

enough and it there aren't going to be

trained quickly enough to meet the

moment um but that often gets conflated

and caught up with the very you know

highly politicized conversations around

undocumented migration um and so there

are things in play right now like for

example the stem Talent Act is a

bipartisan bill that there was a big

push to put it into the ndaa but

Republicans objected and so that's one

opportunity that went away um absent

Congressional action there are

regulatory fixes that a future

Administration more likely a Harris one

could take um and one one that I would

note is the 01 Visa this is something

that a future Administration um could

tweak and and improve to make for

example the renewal process after three

years instead of just one and to give um

highly skilled documented workers to

give their spouses work permits that's

something that would help retain High

skilled immigration

great thanks and I'll just also note

yesterday house science Advanced an

array of Workforce uh related bills

related to kind of the AI Workforce so

those are bipartisan movement that could

potentially happen later this year um of

course they're an authorizing committee

and not an appropriation so that just

speaks back to the funding issues at

hand and I think we're ready for the

next

question section 230 of course so on

section 230 how close is Congress to

actually repealing it it feels like

neither candidate has addressed it

recently thoughts on where this debate

May land at Trump or Harris

presidency uh Congress is not close to

repealing section 230 at all I have

covered you know sessions of Congress

where it was all anybody talked about on

a bipartisan basis and it's been pretty

quiet this year there's been a couple

complaints here and there from like

lindsy Graham and a a couple other

members of Congress but section 230 is

not the hot Tech topic dour this year um

it came up in a couple of conversations

around whether section 230 would cover

um output from generative AI but that

was more of an intellectual exercise

than anything um so yeah there's no

bills that

are close to hitting the floor close to

getting through committee that have any

real shot of repealing section 230 um I

think it lost some of its salience as an

issue because there have been multiple

Supreme Court R rulings recently that

either just outright threw out

challenges to section 230 or toss the

issue back to Congress without ruling in

favor in addition there were some state

level bills that got challenged or

blocked by courts that had to do with

Section 230 and in most of those

cases um section 230 ended up coming out

on the other side intact um where it has

uh been weakened a little bit there's

been a couple of cases on on state

levels where lawsuits have been able to

move forward um in the initial defense

of section 230 um didn't stand but that

doesn't really affect section 230 on a

federal level um I think if Trump wins

he'll probably start talking about it

again but he didn't actually repeal it

the first time around and maybe there's

a realization that you know his own

website truth social only exists because

of section 230 um and it's to me it's

always been a more uh convenient talking

point uh for for folks to complain about

the content they see online rather than

uh something that is really going to get

repealed for good I also think um

President Biden cared a little more

about 230 um than a president Harris

would he had advisers like Bruce Reed in

his ear who never liked section 230

wanted to see it gone I I don't see

Harris having the same exact Focus

thanks I think we're ready now uh to

take your questions in the chat you've

already sent in a couple good ones but

please get those to us now if you'd like

us to address any of them uh I think

I'll start with this one uh do you

believe that the next Administration

will make establishing a federal Ai and

data privacy standard a

priority yes um I think every

Administration has I think the question

is will it actually get

done it's always a priority

yes um but you know in AI has definitely

made the conversation a little more

urgent but it's the it's the hardest

thing in the world to get these uh

Federal standards yeah and I think we're

seeing a similar Dynamic with AI or more

states are coming up with their own

bills and the preemption question is

becoming increasingly relevant but I

don't think there is a huge sense of

urgency to you know regulate these

companies when so much Innovation is

happening according to these lawmakers

here in the US and they don't really

want to get in the way of that I think

one area where you know Republicans and

Democrats agree is that there has to be

competition with China and so regardless

of the talking points that each you know

party has I don't see a lot of action to

to regulate AI anytime

soon and then this is probably a

question for you Maria um there's

somebody on this call who's very eager

for insight into prospects for a chips

act to

2.0 we've been asking this for a long

time now I think a lot of people would

love to see a chips 2.0 because you know

the US continues to invest less than

other countries namely China in um you

know the domestic manufacturing

footprint um but at the end of the day

like remember that a lot of the money of

the first chips and science act hasn't

gone out the door and so even if

Congress passed another law with more

chips and um you know chips and science

goals the the actual sub behind it the

funding is still would still be a long

ways off um I think it would be better

to just focus on the the actual law that

has been passed

first and then we've got a question

about uh the digital divide in education

how can Tech policy better address the

digital divide in education ensuring

that all students have access to the

technology and skills necessary to

succeed in a tech driven future are you

tracking anything along those lines yeah

definitely so this is a topic that

really came into Focus during the

pandemic when it became very clear that

a lot of people still didn't have

internet access in this country this is

another area where Republicans and

Democrats came together and passed an

infrastructure bill that dedicated

billions of dollars for

connectivity and you know you fast

forward a few years and now Congress has

allowed the affordable connectivity

program to expire and so we are tracking

that because that's a subsidy that

families get to pay for their internet

bills which then allows students to be

connected online and you know go to

school more

effectively we've got some questions

that are just asking for a little more

detail about prospects for AI

legislation with bipartisan potential

likely in

2025 um could you just speak to any

other bills that you're looking at or

subject matter areas within AI policy

that you think have

real potential next

year um one area is the issue of deep

fakes and um protecting creators online

um and making sure that if you're an

artist you're a singer you're a famous

Tik Tok star there's definitely

bipartisan interest in um making sure

that um generative AI can sort of like

use your likeness and then um other

people can make money off of you so

there's a bill called the no fakes act

that has bipartisan support um Senator

Marsha Blackburn has been champag that

as she represents a lot of like

Nashville singers um so in the

creativity space there's a lot of

there's a big push to um sort of protect

people's name image and likeness uh when

when it comes to generative AI

potentially um sort of profiting off of

it um and then there's the create AI act

and there's a lot of that has to do

setting up air right so that has a lot

of support there's support for just

getting our government agencies in order

getting their money allocated correctly

so they can um help regulate Ai and then

in general um stuff that's already

happening is we've seen the Federal

Trade Commission and other agencies sort

of bring cases against companies for

breaking current laws

while using AI so I think as far as like

actual action goes you'll keep seeing

agencies use the rules on the books to

go after AI companies that are sort of

using AI in new ways that still breaks

rules around surveillance privacy um

Biometrics things like that are there

any other bills you would flag no I

think those are are the main ones I

would also flag that the AI um task

force in the house is going to be coming

out with a report soon um we think

within a couple weeks potentially um

that's going to include a specific list

of bills that are going to be their top

priority for next year the Senate shied

away from this a little bit more in

their um and their road map that they

came out with earlier this year um but

that's going to provide a very good

indicator of where um the house at least

is going to go but um over there you can

also expect a lot of AI related bills

that have to do with competing with

China that's really going to be the the

main

focus great thanks so much I think

that's all that we have time for but

we're going to try to answer some of

your uh extra questions in our

newsletter probably next week so keep an

eye out for that thank you so much

Ashley and Maria for your great insights

and I'm gonna throw it back to Michael

now to close us out thank

you alrighty well I hope you all enjoyed

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