Artificial intelligence companies are intensifying their campaigns to influence policymakers in Europe and the United States, aiming to shape upcoming regulations for this rapidly advancing technology. Backed by substantial funding, these firms are also engaging the public, emphasizing AI’s potential benefits while downplaying risks like job losses or broader societal threats.
This month, the creator of ChatGPT released a 13-page policy paper titled ‘Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age,’ advocating for updated tax systems and stronger social protections to prepare for highly advanced AI. The company recently acquired a tech-oriented podcast to influence public opinion. However, the document followed public criticism that led to the cancellation of a planned chatbot with adult content.
The firm has encountered lawsuits from families claiming its AI tool harmed teenagers, including cases linked to suicides, resulting in the implementation of age checks. According to Alexandra Iteanu, a Paris-based digital law expert, this marks a critical moment for the sector, with firms investing heavily to secure supportive policies.
In Washington, AI lobbying has surged dramatically, with over 3,500 federal lobbyists—representing a quarter of the total—addressing AI matters last year, a 170% rise in three years, per consumer group Public Citizen. Major players like Meta, Google, and Microsoft lead in expenditures, but newer entities such as OpenAI and Anthropic have quickly established strong presences by engaging top lobbying firms and building internal teams.
Anthropic emphasizes AI safety and stricter oversight in its messaging. Meanwhile, OpenAI supports the industry’s key goal of blocking state-level AI laws in the US, an initiative that has stalled in Congress twice but continues with White House backing.
These efforts extend to elections, with a pro-AI group, Leading the Future, raising $100 million to support candidates favorable to the technology in the 2026 midterms. Former President Donald Trump, who opposes AI rules, has received significant contributions from OpenAI’s co-founder and president.
In Europe, regulators face similar pressures. French startup Mistral recently outlined a 22-point strategy in Brussels to boost AI growth across the region. Tech sector lobbying spending in the EU jumped 55% since 2021, reaching 151 million euros ($177 million) last year, according to research by Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl.
Margarida Silva from the Dutch nonprofit SOMO compares AI firms’ tactics to those of oil and tobacco industries, noting their vast resources as a key advantage. She warns that such concentrated corporate influence could undermine regulations serving the public good, posing a risk to democracy.
Political science professor Charles Thibout from Sciences Po Strasbourg observes that many tech leaders build personal connections with officials for direct access to government. He points to tech executives attending high-profile events and close relationships, such as between Mistral’s co-founder and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Leaders often seek associations with AI innovators to attract investments to their areas, Thibout notes. However, Iteanu asserts that legislators remain cautious, as public excitement for AI coexists with concerns about its downsides. In the US, surveys consistently reveal widespread skepticism about AI’s advantages, with many fearing massive employment disruptions.
