AI Policy AI News & Updates
Former UK PM Rishi Sunak Joins Microsoft and Anthropic as Senior Advisor Amid Regulatory Concerns
Rishi Sunak, former UK Prime Minister (2022-2024), has accepted senior advisory roles at Microsoft and Anthropic, raising concerns from Parliament's Advisory Committee on Business Appointments about potential unfair advantage and influence given ongoing AI regulation debates. Sunak committed to avoiding UK policy advice and lobbying, focusing instead on macro-economic and geopolitical perspectives, while donating his salary to charity.
Skynet Chance (+0.04%): The revolving door between government and AI companies could weaken regulatory oversight and compromise AI safety standards, as former officials with insider knowledge may prioritize corporate interests over public safety in shaping AI governance frameworks.
Skynet Date (+0 days): Industry influence on regulation could slightly accelerate risky AI deployment by creating more permissive regulatory environments, though the effect is modest as formal regulatory processes remain intact.
AGI Progress (+0.01%): High-level political advisors may help AI companies navigate geopolitical challenges and secure favorable business conditions, providing marginal support for continued AGI research investment, though this is an indirect organizational benefit rather than a technical advancement.
AGI Date (+0 days): Improved government relations and potential regulatory advantages could slightly reduce friction for major AI labs, enabling smoother operations and sustained investment, though the impact on actual AGI timeline is minimal.
Trump's AI Action Plan Reduces Regulatory Oversight and Environmental Barriers for Tech Companies
President Trump unveiled an AI Action Plan that was shaped by Silicon Valley allies and is being celebrated by major AI companies. The plan aims to reduce environmental regulatory barriers for data center construction, limit state government oversight of AI development and safety, and prevent tech companies from developing what conservatives consider "woke" AI.
Skynet Chance (+0.04%): Reducing state government oversight of AI development and safety weakens regulatory guardrails that could help prevent uncontrolled AI development. The removal of safety oversight mechanisms increases the probability of inadequately governed AI systems.
Skynet Date (-1 days): Easier data center construction and reduced regulatory barriers will likely accelerate AI development timelines. However, the impact is moderate since the core technological challenges remain unchanged.
AGI Progress (+0.01%): The policy changes don't directly advance AGI capabilities but create a more favorable environment for AI research and development. The impact on actual technical progress toward AGI is minimal.
AGI Date (-1 days): Reduced environmental and regulatory barriers for data center construction will accelerate infrastructure development needed for large-scale AI training. This could meaningfully speed up the timeline for achieving AGI by removing bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Trump Administration Launches AI Action Plan Prioritizing Rapid Development Over Safety Regulations
The Trump administration released an AI Action Plan that shifts away from Biden's cautious approach, prioritizing rapid AI infrastructure development, deregulation, and competition with China over safety measures. The plan emphasizes building data centers on federal lands, reducing environmental regulations, and limiting state AI regulations while focusing on national security and "American values" in AI development.
Skynet Chance (+0.04%): The plan's emphasis on deregulation and reduced safety oversight while accelerating AI development could increase risks of uncontrolled AI systems. However, the inclusion of some safety provisions like AI interpretability research and security testing provides modest counterbalancing measures.
Skynet Date (-1 days): The aggressive deregulation and infrastructure push could significantly accelerate AI development timelines by removing regulatory barriers and fast-tracking data center construction. The competitive pressure with China may also drive rushed development cycles.
AGI Progress (+0.03%): The plan's massive infrastructure investment, deregulation of AI development, and emphasis on open AI models could substantially accelerate AGI progress by removing bottlenecks. The focus on providing computing resources to researchers and startups particularly supports broader AGI development efforts.
AGI Date (-1 days): The combination of reduced regulatory friction, expanded computing infrastructure, and competitive pressure with China is likely to significantly accelerate the timeline to AGI. The plan's explicit goal to "unleash" AI development through deregulation directly targets speed of advancement.
Trump Unveils AI Action Plan Prioritizing Industry Growth Over Safety Regulations
President Trump is set to unveil his AI Action Plan, replacing Biden's executive order with a strategy focused on three pillars: infrastructure, innovation, and global influence. The plan emphasizes accelerating AI development by reducing regulatory barriers, speeding data center construction, and combating "woke" AI, while moving away from the safety and security reporting requirements of the previous administration. The approach prioritizes corporate interests and American AI competitiveness over comprehensive safety standards.
Skynet Chance (+0.04%): The plan's emphasis on reducing safety regulations and eliminating reporting requirements removes oversight mechanisms that could help identify and mitigate potential AI risks. The focus on accelerating development over safety considerations increases the likelihood of uncontrolled AI advancement.
Skynet Date (-1 days): The deregulatory approach and infrastructure investments will likely accelerate AI development timelines by removing bureaucratic barriers. However, the impact is moderate as the fundamental technological constraints remain unchanged.
AGI Progress (+0.03%): The plan's focus on infrastructure development, energy grid modernization, and removal of regulatory barriers creates more favorable conditions for scaling AI capabilities. The emphasis on global competitiveness and increased data center capacity directly supports the computational requirements for AGI development.
AGI Date (-1 days): The combination of accelerated data center buildouts, streamlined permitting processes, and reduced regulatory friction will likely speed up the pace of AI development. The infrastructure investments address key bottlenecks in energy and computing capacity needed for advanced AI systems.
Anthropic Proposes National AI Policy Framework to White House
After removing Biden-era AI commitments from its website, Anthropic submitted recommendations to the White House for a national AI policy focused on economic benefits. The recommendations include maintaining the AI Safety Institute, developing national security evaluations for powerful AI models, implementing chip export controls, and establishing a 50-gigawatt power target for AI data centers by 2027.
Skynet Chance (-0.08%): Anthropic's recommendations prioritize national security evaluations and maintaining safety institutions, which could reduce potential uncontrolled AI risks. The focus on governance structures and security vulnerability analysis represents a moderate push toward greater oversight of powerful AI systems.
Skynet Date (+1 days): The proposed policies would likely slow deployment through additional security requirements and evaluations, moderately decelerating paths to potentially dangerous AI capabilities. Continued institutional oversight creates friction against rapid, unchecked AI development.
AGI Progress (+0.01%): While focusing mainly on governance rather than capabilities, Anthropic's recommendation for 50 additional gigawatts of power dedicated to AI by 2027 would significantly increase compute resources. This infrastructure expansion could moderately accelerate overall progress toward advanced AI systems.
AGI Date (+0 days): The massive power infrastructure proposal (50GW by 2027) would substantially increase AI computing capacity in the US, potentially accelerating AGI development timelines. However, this is partially offset by the proposed regulatory mechanisms that might introduce some delays.