Research warns that AI giants are adopting tobacco firms’ policy playbook - PublicTechnology

Oh, smashing. The AI industry has decided that the most efficient path to regulatory bliss is to borrow the tobacco industry's playbook. A new report has identified 'corporate capture' techniques straight out of Big Tobacco's handbook, including the delightful concept of 'narrative capture' — which is just a fancy way of saying 'paying for the right story.' Because nothing says 'responsible AI development' like adopting the PR strategies of an industry that spent decades lying about lung cancer.

Apparently, AI giants have been burning the midnight oil studying how oil and pharmaceutical giants managed to neuter their regulators. The playbook is simple: control the narrative, and you control the rules. Instead of engaging in good faith consultation, these companies have been framing the debate on their own terms, ensuring that any regulation that emerges is as toothless as a gummy bear. The researchers note this is a 'well-documented strategy' — a polite way of saying 'we've seen this shitshow before.'

And so the cycle continues. The same tactics that gave us climate denial and opioid overprescription are now being deployed to shape the future of our digital fate. The report warns of a 'race to the bottom in regulation,' but let's be honest: the starting gun fired the moment these companies hired their first policy wonk. The only question left is which lung we'll be hacking up first.