In May 2023, leaders from prominent artificial intelligence firms such as OpenAI, Google's DeepMind, and Anthropic urged U.S. legislators to establish federal regulations for the swiftly evolving AI sector.

The push for oversight aimed at addressing existential threats posed by advanced AI systems, featuring suggestions like algorithmic audits, content labeling, and collaborative risk data sharing.

At that time, the U.S. administration worked alongside AI developers to establish voluntary commitments focused on enhancing the safety and fairness of AI technologies.

In October 2023, a presidential executive order officially enshrined these principles, mandating federal agencies to assess the potential effects of AI systems on privacy, workers' rights, and civil liberties.

With a change in administration, the strategy toward AI policy underwent a substantial transformation.

In the initial week of the new presidential term, an executive order was enacted to revoke the previous administration's guidelines and promote policies that bolster the development of American AI capabilities.

The new order called for the creation of a national strategy aimed at dismantling regulatory obstacles within one hundred and eighty days.

In the weeks following the policy change, AI companies submitted documentation and requests to help shape the new framework.

A notable fifteen-page document from OpenAI urged the federal government to prevent individual states from creating their own AI regulations.

It also mentioned the Chinese AI firm DeepSeek, which trained a competitive model using a fraction of the computational resources usually necessary for American counterparts, to advocate for greater access to federal data for model training.

OpenAI, Google, and Meta have further lobbied for broader rights to utilize copyrighted materials—including books, films, and artwork—for training AI models.

All three companies are currently facing legal challenges regarding copyright infringement.

They have sought executive clarification or legislative measures to confirm that the use of publicly available information for model training falls under fair use.

A prominent U.S. venture capital firm also presented a policy document advocating against any new AI-specific regulations, contending that current consumer safety and civil rights laws are adequate.

The firm supported punitive measures against harmful actors but opposed imposing regulatory requirements based on speculative risks.

This policy shift aligns with growing concerns among AI developers regarding escalating global competition.

During the previous administration, leading U.S. firms operated under the belief that their substantial investments and computational capabilities granted them a sustainable edge, especially as restrictions were placed on exporting advanced AI chips to countries like China.

Recent events, including the launch of advanced models by smaller international competitors, have challenged this viewpoint.

Some U.S. AI companies have reevaluated their technological advantage and are now seeking expedited access to resources and reduced regulatory burdens.

This reassessment has prompted a significant shift in industry lobbying, with leading AI firms now prioritizing competitive positioning over their earlier appeals for careful and cooperative oversight.