Rep. Ro Khanna on what it will take for Congress to regulate AI, privacy, and social media
Jan 23, 2024
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Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, talks about the intersection of technology and politics, challenges in the upcoming 2024 election, balancing needs and empowering team members, tension around regulating AI, privacy, and social media, automation's impact on livelihood, competition and privacy in the tech industry, and the need for more competition in social media.
There is a bipartisan opportunity to implement thoughtful regulation on privacy, antitrust, and content moderation, but it will require strong leadership from the President and a concerted effort from lawmakers.
The rise of AI has brought challenges in content moderation and combating misinformation, and steps can be taken such as implementing strong disclosure requirements, incentivizing clean data sets, and adopting guidelines and agreements by social media platforms to address the issue.
The influence of tech companies on labor and competition needs to be scrutinized more closely, and protecting workers' rights, preventing excessive consolidation, and fostering competition domestically and internationally are essential.
Deep dives
Tech Regulation in the US: The Need for Stronger Measures
There is a growing need for stronger tech regulation in the US, as the current approach has been lacking. While Europe has been more proactive in regulating tech giants, the US has fallen behind. The lack of privacy legislation, AI regulation, and strong antitrust measures has allowed tech companies to operate with minimal oversight. There is a bipartisan opportunity to address these issues and implement thoughtful regulation on privacy, antitrust, and content moderation. However, it will require strong leadership from the President and a concerted effort from lawmakers to prioritize these issues and take decisive action.
The Challenges of Content Moderation and Misinformation
The rise of AI has brought significant challenges in content moderation and combating misinformation. Social media platforms have struggled to effectively moderate content and prevent the proliferation of false information and hate speech. While legislation to address these issues is difficult due to First Amendment concerns, there are steps that can be taken to improve the situation. Implementing strong disclosure requirements, incentivizing clean data sets, and adopting guidelines and agreements by social media platforms can help address the problem. Furthermore, creating alternative platforms and prioritizing privacy can foster a more diverse information environment and protect users from targeted misinformation.
The Impact of Tech Companies on Labor and Competition
The influence of tech companies on labor and competition has become a significant concern. There is a need to scrutinize mergers and acquisitions more closely to prevent excessive consolidation and lack of competition in the tech sector. Protecting workers' rights and ensuring that technology augments rather than displaces jobs is essential. Generating labor power and solidarity can help address the potential wealth disparity caused by automation. Additionally, fostering competition, both domestically and internationally, can lead to innovation and better outcomes for consumers.
The Need for Presidential Leadership and Prioritization
Strong presidential leadership is crucial in addressing the challenges of tech regulation. The President should prioritize privacy legislation, antitrust measures, and the protection of American children from harmful online content. Convening tech leaders and investing in communities across the country can create job opportunities and bridge the digital divide. Additionally, engaging with academic experts and seeking bipartisan consensus can lay the foundation for effective regulation and legislation in the tech sector.
TikTok and the Importance of Scrutinizing Chinese Ownership
Scrutinizing Chinese ownership and ensuring data protection is essential, especially in the case of TikTok. While banning TikTok may not be the most effective approach, there is a need to ensure that data is not in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. One potential solution is to force the sale of TikTok to an American company while imposing appropriate safeguards. TikTok's influence should be carefully monitored, and steps should be taken to prevent the spread of misinformation.
Today, I’m talking with Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California. He’s been in Congress for eight years now, representing California’s 17th District, which is arguably the highest-tech district in the entire country. You’ll hear him say a couple of times that there’s $10 trillion of tech market value in his district, and that’s not an exaggeration: Apple, Intel, and Nvidia are all headquartered in his district, along with important new AI firms like Anthropic and OpenAI.
I wanted to know how Khanna thinks about representing those companies but also the regular people in his district; the last time I spoke to him, in 2018, he reminded me that he’s got plenty of teachers and firefighters to represent as well. But the politics of tech have changed a lot in these past few years — and things are only going to get both more complicated and more tense as Trump and Biden head into what will obviously be a contentious and bitter presidential election.