Big Tech Didn’t See This Coming

Quick Overview

Alex Bores, the New York State Assembly Member for District 73, discusses his successful campaign to pass a constitutional amendment for speedy trials despite initial political obstacles, drawing parallels between the AI race with China and the need for proactive, rather than reactive, policy design.

Key Points: Alex Bores ran a campaign for New York State Assembly District 73, which he won despite not being the initial frontrunner. Bores successfully passed a constitutional amendment in New York to guarantee speedy trials, a provision that did not previously exist in the state constitution. The amendment passed with near-unanimous support, with every Republican and one Democrat voting for it, though Bores notes that the process was fraught with lobbying and political maneuvering. Bores contrasts the state-level success with the federal approach to AI regulation, noting that big tech companies (like Google and Meta) are aggressively lobbying against state-level AI regulation, preferring a federal standard where they have more influence. He argues that the AI safety movement should focus on proactive design and public safety plans, rather than waiting for disasters to react. Bores points out that companies are spending heavily on lobbying to prevent state-level AI regulation, preferring a single, potentially favorable federal framework. The discussion highlights a key difference in approach: Bores favors proactive, early state-level action (like his speed trial bill), while tech lobbies push for federalism to slow down aggressive regulation.

Context: The video features an interview between Andrew Yang and Alex Bores, the New York State Assembly Member for District 73. The discussion centers on Bores's background, transitioning from a computer scientist working in tech (Palantir, then startups) to entering politics, specifically focusing on his success in passing legislation for speedy trials in New York and contrasting that experience with the current political dynamics surrounding AI regulation.