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RAND research on AI regulatory capture
webCredibility Rating
4/5
High(4)High quality. Established institution or organization with editorial oversight and accountability.
Rating inherited from publication venue: RAND Corporation
A RAND Corporation research brief relevant to AI governance discussions around regulatory independence; useful for understanding institutional risks in AI oversight design and policy debates about who should set AI safety standards.
Metadata
Importance: 58/100policy briefanalysis
Summary
This RAND research brief examines the risk of regulatory capture in AI governance, where AI developers and industry actors may unduly influence the regulatory bodies meant to oversee them. It analyzes structural vulnerabilities in AI oversight mechanisms and offers policy recommendations to mitigate industry capture of AI safety regulations.
Key Points
- •Regulatory capture occurs when regulated industries gain disproportionate influence over the agencies meant to oversee them, posing particular risks in fast-moving AI sector.
- •The concentration of AI expertise in private industry creates an information asymmetry that can disadvantage regulators and increase capture risk.
- •Revolving door dynamics between government and AI companies may compromise the independence of regulatory bodies.
- •Structural safeguards such as diverse stakeholder representation, transparency requirements, and independent technical capacity can reduce capture risk.
- •Effective AI governance requires proactive institutional design to prevent industry interests from shaping safety standards in self-serving ways.
Cited by 1 page
| Page | Type | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Governance-Focused Worldview | Concept | 67.0 |
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# Managing Industry Influence in U.S. AI Policy
[Kevin Wei](https://www.rand.org/about/people/w/wei_kevin.html), [Carson Ezell](https://www.rand.org/pubs/authors/e/ezell_carson.html), [Nicholas Gabrieli](https://www.rand.org/pubs/authors/g/gabrieli_nicholas.html), [Chinmay Deshpande](https://www.rand.org/pubs/authors/d/deshpande_chinmay.html)
Research SummaryPublished Dec 13, 2024
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## Key Findings
- _AI companies' policy influence_: As of 2024, AI industry actors are attempting to influence U.S. AI policy through many direct and indirect channels, primarily through agenda-setting, advocacy activities, influence in academia and research, and information management. Industry influence could cause regulatory capture when it results in policy outcomes that are detrimental to the public interest.
- _Recommendations for policymakers_: To manage industry influence in U.S. AI policy and prevent regulatory capture, policymakers should
1. invest in building robust civil society institutions, such as with independent funding streams;
2. consider procedural and institutional safeguards, including robust ethics requirements;
3. build technical capacity in government and civil society, such as by competitively hiring technical talent;
4. increase transparency regarding the AI industry’s influence activities; and
5. raise regulatory visibility and verify industry-originated information through reporting and monitoring requirements.
Actors in the U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) industry have gained extensive influence in conversations about the regulation of general-purpose AI systems. Although industry involvement often contributes to effective policymaking, undue industry influence can lead to _regulatory capture_ in which industry priorities override the public interest. The AI industr
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