Marketplace All-in-One Why Big Tech leaders aligned themselves with White House politics this year
Dec 23, 2025
Suyash Pasi, a research analyst and editor at the Human Rights Research Center, discusses the intriguing relationship between tech leaders and the Trump administration. He highlights the significance of tech executives at Trump's inauguration and their compliance with deregulation for economic benefits. Pasi delves into the controversial H-1B visa changes affecting the tech sector and the implications of a booming military tech landscape. He also shares insights on future political alignments and the evolving dynamics as we look towards 2026.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Federal AI Favor Reshaped Incentives
- The Trump administration pushed federal AI infrastructure and a moratorium on state AI regulation, reshaping industry incentives.
- That federal favor created immediate deregulation benefits for AI companies, per Suyash Pasi.
Tech's Pragmatic Shift Toward Compliance
- Tech leaders largely chose compliance and placation to access policy gains under the Trump administration.
- That pragmatic alignment reflected a web of incentives and disincentives, says Suyash Pasi.
AI Firms Gained From Moratoriums
- AI firms saw concrete benefits from deregulation and the moratorium blocking state rules.
- Suyash Pasi says that federal-level pauses on state regulation specifically advantaged AI companies.