California’s AI Future
A Leadership Agenda for a People-First Economy
The next generation of California leaders will take office at the dawn of a new technological age. AI is transforming society and, whether or not it achieves the promise its boosters claim, will have profound consequences for us all. California, home to most of the biggest AI developers, is where the future of this technology will be decided. And this state’s leaders are uniquely positioned to determine whether it will be a force for exploitation and extraction or one that enhances human dignity and advances shared prosperity.
To help inform these leaders and the public as we face these awesome challenges, TechEquity has prepared a set of memos that together paint a picture of what it would mean for AI to work for humans rather than against us.
Read the memosA people-first AI agenda should:
Be clear-eyed about the opportunities, harms, and urgency of the moment. Californians are looking for leaders who can act independently, who understand their fears and anxieties, and who have a vision for bold action that prioritizes workers, affordability, and economic opportunities for everyone. The public is skeptical of politicians who appear co-opted by the tech industry. They see that there is an intentional strategy employed by the AI industry to distance the voices of real people from the decision makers charting our path to the future. The policies outlined here would help foster trust between Californians and their leaders and simultaneously create the competitive environment that has been necessary for California’s growth, innovation, and economic gains over the last 40 years.
Limit Big Tech’s control of the market. AI is controlled by a small handful of companies and billionaires whose influence is undermining the strength and health of California’s economy. In order for AI to be an economic boon, the state must ensure that new entrants can enter on a level playing field. This is critical not just for a vibrant innovation economy but to ensure the long-term fiscal health of the state, which is currently dangerously overdependent on the success of a very small number of players.
Ensure the gains from AI are fairly distributed. Because of this concentration, this small number of controlling entities is also positioned to capture the vast majority of the economic gains created by AI. This dynamic is sure to increase inequality and undermine democracy. California must find mechanisms to ensure that gains from productivity enhancements flow to everyone—through fair taxation, investments in education and training, and robust protections for workers.
Give workers a say. Whether AI will create a future where people are exploited by AI or where they are empowered to live their best lives will largely hinge on the extent to which workers have a say in how technology enters the workplace. California needs policies that support workers across the labor force taking a seat at the table to determine the future of AI in our economy.
Protect people’s data from being used against them. While California has some of the strongest privacy protections in the country, they are strained under the weight of algorithmic tools that operate in obscurity. We must strengthen our privacy and civil rights laws to ensure that AI is not weaponized to raise prices, discriminate, and surveil Californians.
Take a marketcrafting approach to support innovation. Rebalancing the AI economy will require investments in public infrastructure and research, and the catalyzation of capital to foster an innovation ecosystem that addresses public problems and develops socially beneficial applications of AI. California already has two programs—CalCompute and the Venture Capital Access Program—that could be galvanized to carry out this mission.
About the memos
These memos represent a set of policy solutions that can form the basis for a people-first AI future. This package includes:
- The Political Dynamics of AI in California: How public opinion and corporate lobbying are shaping the debate about regulating AI, and what it will take for California’s leaders to act independently.
- AI & California’s Labor Market: Reckoning with AI’s Impact on Workers: How AI tools are being used to demean and exploit workers across industries, and what California’s leaders can do about it.
- AI & Affordability in California: How algorithmic rent-fixing, data center energy costs, and surveillance pricing are driving up costs for California families—and the policy solutions that can help.
- Beyond Big Tech: An Alternative Vision for California’s Tech Economy: Pro-competition solutions to build an innovative tech ecosystem that allows all companies to compete on the merits and deliver widespread social benefits.
Read the memo series below:
California’s AI FutureDownloadDuring its best and most forward-thinking years, the United States actually sought to balance economic power, whether through the broad distribution of land and other productive assets, the breaking up of monopolies, protecting worker organizing, or building a social safety net… What technology will do for us depends on how we design it and where economic power resides. That’s why the real challenge for humanity is to design an economic future that works for more people, rather than assuming that future will just arrive someday.
Tim Wu “The Age of Extraction”
California’s AI Future
AI Memo Series & Other Resources
AI Policy Principles
The Political Dynamics of AI in California
AI & California’s Labor Market
AI & Affordability in California
Beyond Big Tech
Read more on AIStay Up-to-date
Thank you
You’re on the list for TechEquity’s updates.