Who’s speaking up for startups in Washington, D.C.? In this episode, Matt Perault (Head of AI Policy, a16z) and Collin McCune (Head of Government Affairs, a16z) unpack the “Little Tech Agenda” for AI- why AI rules should regulate harmful use, not model development; how to keep open source open; the roles of the federal government vs states in regulating AI; and how the U.S. can compete globally without shutting out new founders.
Who’s speaking up for startups in Washington, D.C.?
In this episode, Matt Perault (Head of AI Policy, a16z) and Collin McCune (Head of Government Affairs, a16z) unpack the “Little Tech Agenda” for AI- why AI rules should regulate harmful use, not model development; how to keep open source open; the roles of the federal government vs states in regulating AI; and how the U.S. can compete globally without shutting out new founders.
Timecodes:
0:00 – Introduction
1:12 – Defining the Little Tech Agenda
4:40 – Challenges for Startups vs. Big Tech
6:37 – Principles of Smart AI Regulation
9:55 – History of AI Policy & Regulatory Fears
19:26 – The Role of Open Source and Global Competition
23:45 – Motivations Behind Policy Approaches
26:40 – Debates on Regulating Use vs. Development
35:15 – Federal vs. State Roles in AI Policy
39:24 – AI Policy and U.S.–China Competition
40:45 – Current Policy Landscape & Action Plans
42:47 – Moratoriums, Preemption, and Political Dynamics
50:00 – Looking Forward: The Future of AI Policy
56:16 – Conclusion & Disclaimers
Resources:
Read the Little Tech Agenda: https://a16z.com/the-little-tech-agenda/
Read ‘Regulate AI Use, Not AI Development : https://a16z.com/regulate-ai-use-not-ai-development/
Read Martin’s article ‘Base AI Policy on Evidence, Not Existential Angst: https://a16z.com/base-ai-policy-on-evidence-not-existential-angst/
Read ‘Setting the Agenda for Global AI Leadership’:
Read ‘The Commerce Clause in the Age of AI”:
Find Matt on X: https://x.com/MattPerault
Find Collin on X: https://x.com/Collin_McCune