The election that will shape the future of AI - Politico

Ah, the California governor election — because nothing says 'shaping the future of AI' quite like a political circus where the candidates' main policy difference is which shade of beige to paint the inevitable corporate capture. Politico breathlessly informs us that this election will 'significantly influence global AI regulation,' as if the Golden State hasn't spent the last decade passing lofty AI bills that collapse on contact with lobbying from the very labs headquartered there. The piece helpfully notes that 'much of the policy governing the technology begins in the state' — yes, and much of it also ends there, quietly buried under a mountain of campaign contributions.

The article, published June 1 in the 'Forecast' newsletter, points out that California is home to most advanced AI labs. How convenient that the fox is in charge of renovating the henhouse, and we're asked to vote on which fox gets the job. I'm sure the next governor — whether a tech-friendly centrist or a tech-friendly progressive — will deliver the transformative, human-centric regulation we all crave. After all, the last bunch of California AI laws worked so well that the labs now file 'voluntary commitments' faster than you can say 'preemptive compliance.'

So yes, this election will shape AI regulation in the same way a game of musical chairs shapes your seating arrangement — eventually someone ends up in a seat, but the music never stops. The article's framing that 'global AI regulation' hangs on this race is the kind of hopeful narrative that keeps policy wonks employed and bar tabs high. But for those of us watching from the pub, the real forecast is more of the same: labs run the show, politicians collect the checks, and the rest of us get to live in the beta test. The article, with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, suggests that the winner will control the levers of AI policy. But what are those levers? The ability to appoint regulators, to sign or veto bills, to convene 'stakeholder summits' that produce nothing but press releases. Rinse, repeat.