Government Policy AI News & Updates
OpenAI Lobbies Trump Administration for Expanded Tax Credits to Fund Massive AI Infrastructure Buildout
OpenAI has sent a letter to the Trump administration requesting expansion of the Chips Act's Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit to cover AI data centers, servers, and electrical grid components, seeking to reduce capital costs for infrastructure development. The company is also asking for accelerated permitting processes and a strategic reserve of raw materials needed for AI infrastructure. OpenAI projects reaching over $20 billion in annualized revenue by end of 2025 and has made $1.4 trillion in capital commitments over eight years.
Skynet Chance (+0.04%): Government subsidization of AI infrastructure could reduce cost barriers to scaling compute-intensive systems, potentially enabling faster development of powerful AI systems with less economic constraint on safety considerations. The massive capital commitments suggest aggressive scaling plans that could outpace safety research.
Skynet Date (-1 days): Tax credits and regulatory streamlining would significantly accelerate the pace of AI infrastructure buildout, reducing financial and bureaucratic barriers that currently slow deployment timelines. The $1.4 trillion commitment over eight years indicates an aggressive acceleration of compute scaling.
AGI Progress (+0.03%): Massive infrastructure expansion directly addresses compute scaling bottlenecks that are currently limiting AI capability growth, with $1.4 trillion in commitments suggesting unprecedented resource allocation toward AGI development. The scale of investment and government support could enable training runs orders of magnitude larger than currently possible.
AGI Date (-1 days): If successful, tax credits and expedited permitting would substantially accelerate the timeline for building the computational infrastructure necessary for AGI development by reducing both capital costs and regulatory delays. The proposed policy changes specifically target the main bottlenecks slowing AI scaling.
UK Rebrands AI Safety Institute to Focus on Security, Partners with Anthropic
The UK government has renamed its AI Safety Institute to the AI Security Institute, shifting focus from existential risks to cybersecurity and national security concerns. Alongside this pivot, the government announced a new partnership with Anthropic to explore using its AI assistant Claude in public services and contribute to security risk evaluation.
Skynet Chance (+0.06%): The UK government's pivot away from existential risk concerns toward economic growth and security applications signals a reduced institutional focus on AI control problems. This deprioritization of safety in favor of deployment could increase risks of unintended consequences as AI systems become more integrated into critical infrastructure.
Skynet Date (-1 days): The accelerated government adoption of AI and reduced emphasis on safety barriers could hasten deployment of increasingly capable AI systems without adequate safeguards. This policy shift toward rapid implementation over cautious development potentially shortens timelines for high-risk scenarios.
AGI Progress (+0.02%): The partnership with Anthropic and greater focus on integration of AI into government services represents incremental progress toward more capable AI systems. While not a direct technical breakthrough, this institutionalization and government backing accelerates the development pathway toward more advanced AI capabilities.
AGI Date (-1 days): The UK government's explicit prioritization of AI development over safety concerns, combined with increased public-private partnerships, creates a more favorable regulatory environment for rapid AI advancement. This policy shift removes potential speed bumps that might have slowed AGI development timelines.