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asad ramzanali

@asad09.bsky.social
89 followers 46 following 56 posts

AI & tech policy, Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator. My own views.

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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Fed gov't employees are using AI to revoke visas, patient care for vets, & military ops. Last month the Nat'l Archives said most of that use of AI doesn't count as “records” under the Fed Records Act. Margaret Mullins & I analyze the guidance vanderbiltpolicyaccelerator.substack.com/p/federal-em...
vanderbiltpolicyaccelerator.substack.com
Federal Employees’ AI Prompts Are Records … in Narrow Circumstances
New National Archives guidance leaves most government AI use off the record
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Just Security @justsecurity.org · 21/09/2026
The National Archives and Records Administration's new AI guidance "allows much of how the government uses AI to remain beyond the inspection of affected parties, researchers, other policymakers, and members of the public," write @asad09.bsky.social and Margaret Mullins.
justsecurity.org
Federal Employees’ AI Prompts Are Records … in Narrow Circumstances
If federal agencies fail to create records related to their AI interactions, they effectively insulate their decisionmaking from oversight.
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
A couple of companies keep saying they're developing products that might be dangerous but want gov't to pace them. They can actually slow down on their own, no law needed. Ofc Congress needs to act on many fronts too. I joined @WalkerinDC on BBC to discuss the latest AI saga.
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
A court found Google illegally monopolized Search but denied major remedies, betting genAI would discipline the monopoly. Joel Thayer & I argue why that's wrong. www.promarket.org/2026/09/02/g...
promarket.org
Google’s Search Monopoly Money Will Let It Purchase the AI Market - ProMarket
Google built and maintains its AI leadership from cash, compute, and data accumulated illegally from its monopoly in internet search. Its control over internet search, advertisement, mobile phone oper...
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Roosevelt Institute @rooseveltinstitute.org · 21/08/2026
Tech policy is only as strong as government’s ability to make it work. In our latest in Building the Future: Meet the Roosevelt Society, @asad09.bsky.social reflects on his path from Silicon Valley to the White House and why he works at “the scale of affecting the public.”
rooseveltinstitute.org
The Race to Regulate New Tech: Q&A with Asad Ramzanali
Asad Ramzanali discusses AI and tech policy, regulatory reform, and how government can deliver bold solutions in this Building the Future: Meet the Roosevelt Society interview.
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Ellen P. Goodman @ellgood.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Because I too needed to comment on Zuck’s “AI for all” manifesto … open weight models are not free so long as oligarchs control compute. Nods to Ithiel de Sola Pool @asad09.bsky.social @smw.bsky.social @davidthewid.bsky.social @justinhendrix.bsky.social www.techpolicy.press/zuckerbergs-...
techpolicy.press
Zuckerberg’s AI Manifesto Lost it at Compute
It's worth asking what it would take to actually democratize AI at each layer of the stack, writes Ellen P. Goodman, starting with compute.
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
This wk, @joellthayer.bsky.social & I filed an amicus brief in the U.S. v. Google appeal. A federal court found Google unlawfully maintained its search monopoly, then denied remedies commensurate with the problem because genAI might discipline that monopoly (what can't AI do?!). 1/4
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Graduates are booing AI as they face the risk of it decimating the job market. In the Depression, the Works Progress Administration put millions to work. As @ganeshsitaraman.bsky.social & I argue, Congress should start prototyping a new WPA. vanderbiltpolicyaccelerator.substack.com/p/the-case-f...
vanderbiltpolicyaccelerator.substack.com
The Case for a New Works Progress Administration
Right now, roughly four million students are walking across stages at the nearly four thousand colleges around the U.S.
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Anthropic, OpenAI & Google control foundation models nearly every AI app is built on. And they're building, buying & investing in apps that compete with their customers. Tom Wheeler & I argue model providers should be barred from unjust discrimination. www.brookings.edu/articles/to-...
brookings.edu
To unleash AI innovation, stop model providers from picking the winners | Brookings
Asad Ramzanali and Tom Wheeler explain why competition is the best route to the future of inventive AI applications.
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
this is excellent work by @nathaliemarechal.net
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Washington Monthly @washingtonmonthly.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Risky financial maneuvers and mountains of debt mean the AI economy is in trouble, says Vanderbilt’s Asad Ramzanali (@asad09.bsky.social). America needs to get ready, writes @anne-s-kim.bsky.social.
washingtonmonthly.com
An AI Crash Is Coming. What Then?
Risky financial maneuvers and mountains of debt mean the AI economy is in trouble, says Vanderbilt’s Asad Ramzanali.
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Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
I spoke to Asad Ramzanali from the Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator for Political Economy and Regulation about his new report, "After the AI Crash," which argues that if the AI bubble bursts it will represent a significant policy opportunity for tech reform. Listen: www.techpolicy.press/what-to-do-i...
Podcast graphic for Tech Policy Press: "What to Do If the AI Bubble Bursts" by Justin Hendrix
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
The right policy approach to AI isn't do-nothing or wait-and-see; it's resilience. @ganeshsitaraman.bsky.social & I lay out a proactive, structural strategy across the economy, society, & nat sec in a paper published by Rand. Summary: vanderbiltpolicyaccelerator.substack.com/p/resilience...
vanderbiltpolicyaccelerator.substack.com
Resilience as a Policy Approach for AI
Different camps of AI commenters—accelerationists, doomers, pragmatists, and populists—have strong but diverging views about the future of AI.
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Nathalie Maréchal, PhD @nathaliemarechal.net · 27/03/2026
The techs we collectively call AI have use cases, but policy should be about solving problems in the public interest, not identifying ways to deploy specific technologies just for the sake of doing so. Yet that’s *still* how so many of these convos are framed. It’s exhausting. And harmful.
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Nathalie Maréchal, PhD @nathaliemarechal.net · 27/03/2026
Similarly, referring to “AI” as an actor rather than a tool serves to absolve people and institutions of accountability. I’m struck by how many so-called leaders seem happy to treat widespread “AI” adoption as a fait accompli, an act of God or natural phenomenon that can’t be contested, only managed
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
For months, financiers, policymakers, & technologists have warned about an AI bubble as trillions in investment chase billions in revenue. But almost no one is asking what to do after it bursts. My new paper lays out how a crash might happen & bold proposals for after the crash.
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
People assume that gov’t inaction is the best policy strategy to support Little Tech. We pulled together conservative, progressives, LT companies, investors and found 7 discrete fed. & state policies to support Little Tech that could garner bipartisan and industry support.
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
I’ve got a new report w/ Akhil Rajan recommending AI Neutrality. Anthropic, OpenAI, Google control ~90% of AI model API revenues. They also compete with their customers, creating unavoidable conflicts of interest and opportunities to abuse power. cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-URL/wp-co...
cdn.vanderbilt.edu
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Internet Education Foundation Projects @iefprojects.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
🚨 Watch Live at Noon. "Tech Policy in 2026: Congressional 2nd Session Preview" 📅 Wed. Jan. 28 ⏰ 12 pm 📍 Rayburn House Office Building 📺 Video bit.ly/techpolicy2026 @asad09.bsky.social @lehogg.bsky.social @netchoice.bsky.social
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J.B. Branch @jbbranch.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Starting 2026 with a new @techpolicypress.bsky.social piece, I spoke with leading voices in AI governance on what’s truly at stake this year: power, accountability, and democratic control. www.techpolicy.press/expert-predi... @hlntnr.bsky.social @asad09.bsky.social @adambillen.bsky.social
techpolicy.press
Expert Predictions on What’s at Stake in AI Policy in 2026 | TechPolicy.Press
Public Citizen's J.B. Branch and Ilana Beller invited predictions from multiple policy experts about what to expect on AI policy in the year ahead.
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Digging up roads is 75–90% of the cost of deploying broadband, yet we keep excavating again & again. A smarter approach: install conduit when roads are open. @bendinovelli.bsky.social and my new paper explains why most Dig Once policies fall short & how to fix them cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-URL/wp-co...
cdn.vanderbilt.edu
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Arati Prabhakar @aratip.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
@asad09.bsky.social and I call for better AI ambitions, beyond just business productivity. That will take forward government action and investment, not destruction. A future with new medicines for intractable diseases, better K-12 education, and improved weather forecasts is at stake.
techpolicy.press
America Needs Better AI Ambitions | TechPolicy.Press
Arati Prabhakar and Asad Ramzanali say we are caught between fantastical claims and leaders deferring to industry without the imagination to drive progress.
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Kara Swisher @karaswisher.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
This is smart — clean data, research money and safety www.politico.com/news/magazin...
politico.com
Trump Is Taking 3 Steps Backward in the AI Race
The administration needs to shift focus away from providing chips and datacenters to the world’s richest companies.
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Arati Prabhakar @aratip.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Trump’s latest order on AI—which he says is “inspired by the legacy of the Apollo Program” is a meh step forward — following three giant leaps backwards. @asad09.bsky.social and I wrote about how far off it is from what it takes for America to win.
politico.com
Trump Is Taking Three Steps Backward in the AI Race
The administration needs to shift focus away from providing chips and datacenters to the world’s richest companies.
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
New essay in Politico today w/ @aratip.bsky.social on how Trump's “Genesis Mission” is one small step forward after giant leaps backward. The Trump AI doctrine really just boils down to boosting friendly tech companies. www.politico.com/news/magazin...
politico.com
Trump Is Taking Three Steps Backward in the AI Race
The administration needs to shift focus away from providing chips and datacenters to the world’s richest companies.
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Federation of American Scientists @scientistsorg.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
🚨Call for policy proposals If AI adoption is not slowing down, policy governing safety and security practices needs to speed up. This is where you come in.
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
The latest ClickHere podcast episode connects the grassroots protests outside data centers to the monopolistic businesses practices inside. I appreciated the opportunity to contribute to this thoughtful reporting. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
podcasts.apple.com
The people vs. the cloud
Podcast Episode · Click Here · 10/28/2025 · 26m
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 18/10/2025
This is excellent.
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
A few trillion-dollar companies now comprise an AI oligopoly. Nvidia's announcement to invest $100B in OpenAI makes things worse. As I say in TIME, vertical integration is about money, control, and power. Policymakers should reject such combinations. time.com/7322418/chat...
time.com
We Need to Break Up Big AI Before It Breaks Us
When the same few companies own the entire tech stack, they stop competing and start colluding.
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David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
We're introducing a new section today called Big Ideas, exploring next-generation solutions for pressing policy problems. Today James Baratta looks at a new report on how to structure the cloud computing industry. prospect.org/power/2025-0...
prospect.org
AI’s $600 Billion Blind Spot
A new report offers a legislative road map for creating a competitive and secure cloud computing market, without forcing policymakers to reinvent the wheel.
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
Thank you to @prospect.org for featuring my paper, How to Regulate the Cloud. Their focus on the market as “AI’s $600 Billion Blind Spot” brings attention to an ignored part of the AI policy debate. Grateful to see this important conversation gaining wider attention.
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The American Prospect @prospect.org · 29/09/2025
The market for cloud computing is huge, but policymakers should pay attention to a new report that shows them how to address the market’s failures and the national-security risks they create. From James Baratta: trib.al/tTK5pda
trib.al
AI’s $600 Billion Blind Spot
A new report offers a legislative road map for creating a competitive and secure cloud computing market, without forcing policymakers to reinvent the wheel.
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
The cloud computing industry is rife with market failures, and it poses risks to national security. In a new paper, I show how to fix the cloud before it fails us. cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-URL/wp-co...
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
@ganeshsitaraman.bsky.social and I have a new piece in Commonplace, “No Handouts for Data Centers.” Research shows that subsidizing sports stadium construction doesn't pay off. Now states are subsidizing data centers. That won't work either. www.commonplace.org/p/no-handout...
commonplace.org
No Handouts for Data Centers
They don’t work for stadiums, and they won’t work for AI.
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Gretchen Goldman, PhD @gretchentg.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
My new @science.org editorial on the role of scientists in defending democracy is out today. As authoritarianism takes hold in the US, we must fight for the democratic principles that enable a free society and scientists have a key role. I hope you'll join us. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Scientists’ role in defending democracy
The United States’ democratic leadership, commitment to freedom of expression, and investment in the pursuit of knowledge have long enabled its preeminence in science and technology. Yet today we are ...
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 09/08/2025
vote for my SXSW panel please! @jbbranch.bsky.social and @kate-brennan.bsky.social will discuss this admin's AI policy and how things are going. participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...
participate.sxsw.com
PanelPicker | SXSW Conference & Festivals
PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform. Enter ideas and vote to help shape Conference programming for SXSW and SXSW EDU.
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
great work by @geomblog.bsky.social @costasamaras.com ‪@colesci.bsky.social!
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
Great piece on the geopolitical AI competition getting distilled to a rush for AI adoption while ignoring other societal values. As I told Ian, American leadership in AI is not the same thing as driving larger profits for American companies
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MIT Technology Review @technologyreview.com · 24/07/2025
Opinion: Despite a flurry of actions this week to extend AI leadership, the Trump administration is dismantling the very advantages that established America’s global lead in AI in the first place.
technologyreview.com
Trump’s AI Action Plan is a distraction
Despite a flurry of actions this week to extend AI leadership, the administration is dismantling the very advantages that established America’s global lead in AI in the first place.
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
I have an essay in MIT @techreview today showing how “Trump’s AI Action Plan is a Distraction”—his administration is gutting the very policies that built US AI leadership. www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/24/1...
technologyreview.com
Trump’s AI Action Plan is a distraction
Despite a flurry of actions this week to extend AI leadership, the White House is dismantling the very advantages that established America’s global lead in AI in the first place.
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nilay patel @reckless.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
If I’m an Apple or Google shareholder I’m looking at this letter from Pam Bondi promising not to enforce the TikTok ban and saying this is nowhere close to good enough given the potential scope of damages. It’s basically a pinky swear based on nothing. www.theverge.com/tiktok/69798...
(b) 6)
Appetire ent of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled
Dear Ms. Adams:
Article Il of the United States Constitution vests in the President the responsibility ove ational security and the conduct of foreign policy. The President previously determined that a abrupt shutdown of the TikTok platform would interfere with the execution of the President's constitutional duties to take care of the national security and foreign affairs of the United States.
See Executive Order 14166 (E.O. 14166). The Attorney General has concluded that the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (the "Act") is properly read not to infringe upon such core Presidential national security and foreign affairs
Executive Order 14166 instructed the Department of Justice not to take any action on behalf of the United States to enforce the Act for any conduct that occurred during the period of time from January 19, 2025 through April 5, 2025 (the "Covered Period"). Pursuant to the President's responsibility to protect national security and to conduct foreign policy, the President determined that a 75-day extension of the Covered Period to June 19, 2025 is appropriate and has signed a subsequent Executive Order to effectuate that determination (the "Extended Covered Period"). See Executive Order, Extending The TikTok Enforcement Delay (April 4, 2025).
In the Executive Order signed on April 4, the President directed "the Attorney General to issue a letter to each provider stating that there has been no violation of the statute and that there is no liability for any conduct that occurred during" the Extended Covered Period as well as for any conduct from the effective date of the Act. Based on the Attorney General's review of the
Katherine Adams
Senior Vice President & General Counsel
Apple Inc.
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facts and circumstances, Apple Inc. has committed no violation of the Act and Apple Inc. has incurred no liability under the Act during the Covered…
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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
The state AI regulation moratorium that Congress is considering would wipe away real guardrails that protect real people from real harms. As I told the FT for this piece: Responsible innovation shouldn't fear laws that ban irresponsible practices.
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The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 10/06/2025
The failure to deploy rural broadband has become synonymous with excessive bureaucracy, Asad Ramzanali and Benjamin Dinovelli write. The real story is more complicated:
bit.ly
Red Tape Isn’t the Only Reason America Can’t Build
The failure to deploy rural broadband has become synonymous with excessive bureaucracy. The real story is more complicated.
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