AI companies know they have an image problem. Will funding policy papers and thinktanks dig them out?
Summary
Major AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic are trying to improve their public image by creating policy papers and think tanks that focus on the social effects of AI. OpenAI released a paper suggesting changes like a four-day workweek and a public wealth fund to help society manage AI’s impact, while also opening new offices and acquiring media outlets to influence the conversation.Key Facts
- OpenAI published a 13-page policy paper called Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age, suggesting new rules and ideas for AI’s role in society.
- OpenAI bought a tech-focused podcast, TBPN, and plans to open a Washington DC office with a space for policy discussions.
- Anthropic, another AI company, launched the Anthropic Institute to study AI's societal effects.
- Polls show increasing public disapproval of AI technologies in the US.
- OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman noted that AI is unpopular and often blamed for job layoffs and energy price rises.
- The companies are spending money on lobbying while promoting ideas for regulation, but some experts say this might weaken independent efforts to control AI.
- OpenAI’s paper includes proposals like a four-day workweek and a public wealth fund to share AI profits with citizens.
- Critics say the paper may be more about public relations and shifting responsibility for AI’s impact from companies to the government and society.
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