On Monday, SVLG gathered members from across California’s innovation ecosystem for a virtual conversation on the evolving landscape of AI policy across Washington, D.C. and Sacramento. The Capitol to Capitol Lunch Brief gathered tech leaders and policy experts to discuss the progress of AI legislation in both capitals and the path forward for California’s leadership on emerging technologies and regional competitiveness.
The event focused on the status of legislation in D.C. as well as the proposed slate of bills in California on AI. SVLG CEO Ahmad Thomas and Cynthia Tregillis, Western Digital’s Chief Legal Officer and Secretary and SVLG Board Member, helped set the stage and kick off the discussion. Members heard from Izzy Klein and Matt Johnson of the Klein/Johnson Group, discussing the potential for a unified federal approach to AI and the ongoing discussion over the reconciliation bill in the Senate.
Breaking News: the AI moratorium was stripped from the bill late Monday night before Senate passage on Tuesday.
Then, SVLG General Counsel and SVP of Tech Policy Peter Leroe-Muñoz outlined current proposed legislation in California on tech and innovation policy, the scaling of key infrastructure, and the future of AI development. Peter offered context behind the current bills, and SVLG’s advocacy on behalf of its members, underscoring the importance of promoting equitable economic growth.
Throughout, four key themes around proactive, responsible tech governance emerged:
- Empowering the innovation economy: A strong innovation ecosystem is essential to securing a resilient and prosperous future for the Bay Area.
- Establishing and growing data centers: Data centers are key infrastructure behind the development of AI.
- Aligning the public and private sectors: To chart the best path forward for Silicon Valley and California as a whole, strong collaboration between the public and private sectors can ensure responsible growth and leverage transformative tech.
- Positioning California as a global leader on tech and innovation: In a competitive landscape, it is paramount that we empower — not restrict — California’s business leaders to keep pace on the global stage.
Moving forward, SVLG will continue to drive a future-forward approach on AI and tech policy, particularly here in California. We are proud to advocate for a robust and dynamic innovation economy, ensuring that our region remains the global hub for emerging technology.
We wanted to extend a thank you to the speakers for lending their expertise and offering their timely insights, and to everyone who was able to join us and ask questions during this important discussion.
