What's Scarier Than Unchecked AI? A 'Swarm' of 3,400 Corporate AI Lobbyists

Dozens of legislative proposals aiming to regulate artificial intelligence have been introduced since the beginning of the 118th Congress early last year, and industries and corporations that plan to expand their use of AI have taken notice—more than doubling the number of lobbyists they sent to Capitol Hill in 2023 to influence lawmakers on AI-related issues, compared to the previous year.

That's according to an analysis by consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, which warned in its report published Wednesday that "powerful corporate interests are pouring resources into shaping AI policy."

Public Citizen examined lobbying disclosure records from 2019-23, and found that corporations, trade groups, and other organizations deployed more than 3,400 AI lobbyists to influence federal lawmakers last year—a 120% jump from 2022.

The number of organizations that lobbied the government on AI-related matters was relatively steady from 2019-22, but the new analysis shows that last year corporations, trade groups, and lobbying firms appeared to view AI as an issue that required more focus, with 566 clients lobbying on AI—a 108% increase from the 272 organizations engaged on the issue in 2022.

"AI guardrails are essential to protect the public and the voices of stakeholders that represent them must also be heard loudly in the halls of government."

The number of lobbyists who lobbied White House officials also rose significantly over the course of last year, as the Biden administration prepared to release its landmark executive order to require the "safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use" of AI in October.

In the first quarter of 2023, 323 lobbyists were hired to lobby the White House on AI-related issues, and that number jumped 188% by the end of the year, when 931 lobbyists were working to influence top Biden administration officials.

Eighty-five percent of lobbyists hired in 2023 to focus on AI-related lobbying were hired by corporations or corporate trade groups, Public Citizen found.

"Corporate lobbyists running amok in the halls of Congress and the halls of power are aiming to set our AI future," said Robert Weissman, president of the group. "Either we let corporate lobbyists write rules on AI to concentrate corporate power and wealth, or we demand that government officials prioritize the public interest."

The analysis noted that while the tech industry was the most active in AI lobbying last year, it only accounted for 20% of AI-focused influencing efforts by powerful interests. Corporate groups and other organizations promoting education, transportation, healthcare, defense, media, and financial services were also among those that ramped up their AI lobbying last year.

Shortly after President Joe Biden unveiled his executive order last year, House Democrats raised alarm about the use of AI by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to determine and deny payment for patients who have Medicare Advantage plans, underscoring how a wide range of industries have begun using the technology to boost their profits at the expense of the public.

The Chamber of Commerce hired the most lobbyists to press lawmakers and other officials on AI issues last year, with 81 new hires tasked with influencing AI-related legislation and federal restrictions. The Business Roundtable, American Property Casualty Insurance Association, and General Motors were also among the clients that hired the most AI lobbyists in 2023.

"AI companies, defense contractors, autonomous vehicle manufacturers, and others stand to make billions if AI policy is crafted more in their interest than in the public's," said Mike Tanglis, research director for Public Citizen's Congress Watch division. "They appear to be dominating the AI focused conversations on Capitol Hill. It's never a good idea to put the fox in charge of designing henhouse security."

The lobbying surge came as lawmakers introduced legislation including the AI Accountability Act, aimed at providing "assurance that AI systems used by communications networks are trustworthy"; the REAL Political Advertisements Act, which would demand transparency about the use of generative AI content in political ads; and the DEEPFAKES Accountability Act, which would create disclosure requirements for producing "advanced technological false personation" records.

"We're reaching a point where the policies that are going to shape AI policy in the next 10 years are really being decided now," Tanglis told The Hill. "From our perspective, having the leading voices on an issue being those that stand to make billions of dollars is generally not a good idea for the public."

Public Citizen projected that the AI lobbying blitz will continue throughout 2024 and beyond, as federal agencies are tasked with introducing new regulations and rules to ensure that AI is used with transparency and accountability.

Following Biden's executive order last year, the Commerce Department started requiring AI developers whose models pose national security risks to disclose safety test results and other information, and the Department of Health and Human Services convened a task force to explore AI regulations and governance.

With the federal government taking action to erect guardrails for the use of AI, said Public Citizen, "stakeholders will likely rely even more on their lobbyists to shape how AI policy is formed."

"The U.S. federal government should remain wary of corporate interest engagement with the process," said the group. "AI guardrails are essential to protect the public and the voices of stakeholders that represent them must also be heard loudly in the halls of government."