De Graaf said Europes head start on AI rules will make it tough for the U.K. to craft an alternate approach in time for it to matter. But White said the EUs strict safeguards could shut out certain types of AI or chill their use on the continent. If that happens, it would give London an opportunity to make its mark.
The companies were talking about are U.K. and U.S. companies, White said. Thats really where I think a lot of this will play out, in terms of what theyre doing and the governments that they listen to.
The U.S. tech industry is intrigued by Whites sales pitch, and its lobbyists are staffing up as they prepare for a potential new power center in London.
It is not surprising that someone might look at how certain legislative efforts have fared on the continent and conclude that a different approach might have more value, said Matthew Schruers, president of the Computer and Communications Industry Association. Schruers lobbying firm is in the process of opening a new London office, and its not the only Silicon Valley operation making moves to the U.K. on Sunday, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz announced plans to open its first international office in London.
But even if it can nudge the U.S. toward its preferred tech rules, there are domestic issues that could undercut the U.K.s message to Silicon Valley. The countrys next general election, expected sometime in 2024, could push the regulation-averse Conservatives out of power. And many U.K. voters and advocacy groups disagree with Londons light-touch approach to tech.
That tension has forced the U.K. government into a tricky balancing act between attracting industry while also addressing voter anxiety. And Silicon Valley is so far skeptical that Londons tech plans are much friendlier than the rules now coming from Brussels.
To say were a better bet than the EU, which has basically completely stifled its tech sector, is faint praise at best, said one industry source, who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive interplay between global tech regulators.
If White can get Silicon Valley to work closely with London on new rules (and if London can convince Washington or enough U.S. states to take those rules and run with them), it could mean an end to the EUs regulatory dominance over an industry that increasingly transcends borders.
But even a successful effort would see the U.K. subordinated at some level to the U.S. and its far from clear that White and his government can actually deliver.
A decade ago, none of this would have even made sense. The U.K. was firmly ensconced in the EU, and the tech industry was a lightly regulated, high-growth sector that everyone loved. The main way for foreign jurisdictions to attract U.S. tech firms was to offer lower taxes, which led to a massive rush of headquarters to business-friendly Ireland.
But starting with the EUs adoption of its landmark General Data Protection Regulation in 2016, the bloc has passed a series of laws that crack down on the tech companies use of personal data, rein in their monopoly power, expand the protections they provide users and govern their plans for AI.
The flurry of activity opened a gulf with Washington, where big tech while often a political punching bag saw little in the way of actual regulation by Congress.
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Joe White is leading the British charm offensive in Silicon Valley - POLITICO
