Trust, Influence, and Impact in 2024

From embracing the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) and mitigating its risks to defending free speech against an onslaught of attacks, RSI’s Technology and Innovation (T&I) team educated lawmakers, journalists, and other policy scholars on these and many other issues over the course of the year.

When it comes to AI, RSI believes that the technology has the potential to propel U.S. economic growth and productivity in ways not seen in decades. To this end, the T&I team worked throughout 2024 to solidify its role as one of the nation’s most trusted proponents of AI focused on forward-looking public policy. While highlighting AI’s benefits in studies, conference presentations, congressional testimony, and federal and state legislative commentary, RSI also fought back against poorly conceived government regulations that could stymie AI development in states such as Texas and California, as well as at various levels of the federal government.

Following the 2024 election, RSI quickly produced an analysis on what the Republican takeover of the White House and U.S. Senate might mean for AI governance and technology policy. This piece was read more than 1,500 times in the first 24 hours, and its author was contacted by more than a dozen national, trade, and regional media outlets seeking his opinion on continuing developments.

The T&I team also effectively advocated for a balanced approach to intellectual-property protection, focusing on improving patent quality and weeding out invalid patents. This work, which included a series of deep analysis pieces, an episode on RSI’s Red Tape podcast, and a video PSA, coincided with congressional debates on two major patent-reform bills. In addition, two key legislative efforts (the PREVAIL Act and PERA)—which RSI warned would negatively alter the patent system, and joined broad coalitions in educating lawmakers, scholars, and others to oppose—failed to become law last Congress.

Finally, RSI’s long-standing work opposing and explaining the negative ramifications of unconstitutional social media censorship laws and age-verification mandates at state and federal levels cemented the organization as a trusted resource for lawmakers, coalitions, and staff on children’s online safety issues. Shoshana Weissmann was featured alongside the American Civil Liberties Union at a Semafor event in Washington, D.C. on these issues. RSI’s expertise and leadership on broadband policy was also sought out and elevated by policymakers across the political spectrum.