Enterprise capital agency Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is hoping to push pro-crypto and AI regulation ahead with seemingly new technique: Throwing cash at politicians.
“If a candidate helps an optimistic technology-enabled future, we’re for them. In the event that they wish to choke off necessary applied sciences, we’re towards them,” wrote Ben Horowitz, one of many agency’s founders, in a Dec. 14 put up, including:
“Each penny we donate will go to help like-minded candidates and oppose candidates who goal to kill America’s superior technological future.”
Horowitz stated it might be the “first time” a16z pursues the lobbying route to advertise tech-friendly politicians. Nonetheless, it reportedly held a fundraiser for a New York congressman in October 2022, in accordance to Forbes.
Horowitz, specifically, highlighted blockchain-based applied sciences and synthetic intelligence as two applied sciences that may make for a greater world.
Decentralized applied sciences “will create a fairer, extra inclusive financial system” than what the centralized Large Tech corporations have achieved, Horowitz famous, whereas AI “has the potential to uplift all of humanity” to a lifestyle by no means skilled earlier than.
Avalanche, Coinbase, Dapper Labs, Lido Finance, Nansen, OpenSea, Uniswap and Worldcoin are a number of the cryptocurrency startups that a16z has invested in.
Just some issues we’re excited for in crypto (2024):
→ Getting into a brand new period of decentralization
→ Resetting the UX of the long run
→The rise of the modular tech stack
→ AI + blockchains come collectively
→ Play to earn turns into play and earn
→ When AI turns into the gamemaker,… pic.twitter.com/fiL4Eahwuy— a16z crypto (@a16zcrypto) December 6, 2023
Horowitz burdened that he isn’t utterly towards regulation: “Prime quality regulation can allow an business to thrive whereas defending customers,” however time and time once more, we’ve seen “politicized regulation” kill industries, he stated.
“America’s greatest days are forward if we retain our international expertise management. The first factor that may undermine that’s misguided regulatory coverage.”
Horowitz stated “massive tech” corporations have been properly represented in Washington D.C. however are extra involved with “preserving their monopolies” than advocating for truthful regulation.
Associated: Paris Hilton, a16z again IP possession community Story Protocol
The tech-focused funding agency wrote its personal “techno-optimist manifesto” in October, which drew criticism from throughout the board for sharing a number of far-fetched opinions.
Considered one of a16z’s opinions was that “any deceleration of AI [by way of regulation] will value lives.”
Finance columnist Jemima Kelly of the Monetary Occasions was certainly one of many who disagreed, arguing that “unrestrained technological ‘accelerationism’ is a foul concept.”
Greater than 2,600 tech leaders and researchers, similar to Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak signed a petition to “pause” AI developments in March 2023, sharing issues that AI can pose “profound dangers to society and humanity.”
