Driving the Day

Today is February 21, 2025, and here are the key policymaker and stakeholder actions on AI you need to know: The New York Times discussed widespread layoffs at the Food and Drug Administration, which included experts focused on the use of AI in the healthcare industry. In California, Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D) introduced a “far-reaching” bill intended to combat AI-caused discrimination. Across the pond, Google and Meta executives criticized the EU’s tech regulations, arguing the rules are holding back AI innovation. Meanwhile, OpenAI discovered an AI surveillance tool built by a Chinese security operation to monitor anti-China content on Western social media. OpenAI investigators believe the tool is powered with one of Meta’s open-source AI models.

In this issue:

• Washington in Focus: The Center for AI Policy criticized the Trump Administration’s planned layoffs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

• Around the Nation: Arizona lawmakers passed a bill that would regulate using AI to deny medical claims.

• Across the Pond: Ireland's AI Advisory Council recommended the government ban non-consensual deepfakes.

• Global Highlights: The Brookings Institution published an article asking if open-access AI is the great safety equalizer for African countries.

• Outside Views: Tech Policy Press published an article arguing the innovation versus safety debate at the Paris AI Summit “was a trap.”

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