Driving The Day

Today is August 2, 2024, and here are the key policymaker and stakeholder actions on AI you need to know: In Washington, U.S Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) sent a letter to OpenAI requesting clarity on allegations that the company restricts ex-employees from discussing safety issues with regulators. Meanwhile, antitrust regulators at the U.S. Department of Justice are investigating Nvidia’s acquisition of Run:ai, a startup that makes components for the semiconductor industry. Across the pond, the U.K. government canceled two AI infrastructure projects worth a combined $1.7 billion, with a government spokesperson blaming the change on “difficult and necessary spending decisions.” Lastly, Google is hiring the staff of Character.AI and licensing its models, forming a type of partnership growing in popularity in Silicon Valley and increasingly facing scrutiny from antitrust regulators.

In this issue:

• Washington in Focus: Entertainment industry comes together to support bill that will outlaw AI deepfakes.

• Around the Nation: New York lawmaker questions state’s use of AI-powered identity-verification vendor.

• Across the Pond: European Commission is moving ahead with “AI Factories.”

• Global Highlights: Japan government kicks off talks on regulations for AI developers.

• Outside Views: A senior think tank fellow outlined what he thinks are “the four fault lines in AI policy.”

Read these stories and more below: