From safety-first to sales pitches, AI companies speak for themselves – POLITICO
Anthropic: Playing in the major leagues
For an AI startup that’s raised about $4.5 billion since 2021, Anthropic is hardly an also-ran in this digital Great Game. But, based on its public statements, the company started by former OpenAI executives has pitched itself as the responsible voice in AI governance. That has given it a seat at the policymaking table alongside larger names like Meta and Microsoft.
Inflection AI: Making it personal
There’s an open question about what will happen to this AI startup, now that one of its co-founders, Mustafa Suleyman, has jumped ship to run Microsoft’s rival — and bigger — business. But over two years, the California-based company has heavily promoted its AI-powered personal assistant to differentiate itself in an already crowded market.
Meta: The open-source cheerleader
The parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp is no stranger to bruising global policy fights. But Mark Zuckerberg has positioned his company slightly differently from rivals. That includes centering Meta’s AI development on so-called open-source technology, systems that can be readily harnessed by the many, not just a select few.
Microsoft: Public wonk overload
The maker of Word and Outlook isn’t messing around with its message on AI. In scores of documents, many of which were aimed directly at policymakers and politicians, Microsoft overdid it on key buzzwords like “responsible AI,” “risk management,” and “AI governance.” Of all the companies surveyed, the American tech giant got the most mileage out of such jargon.
Mistral: The hustling French upstart
When you think of France’s approach to technology, top-down regulation, not grassroots innovation, may first come to mind. But Mistral — fresh off deals with both Microsoft and Amazon — has been keen to promote a business-first stance when publicly talking about its work.
OpenAI: Where everyone looks first
As the company that ignited the most recent AI craze with the release of its ChatGPT product in late 2022, OpenAI has understandably been in the crosshairs of officials and tech rivals alike. That’s led to a surge of geeky research publications detailing how its systems were developed, as well as a greater focus than many rivals on reducing the potential downsides to AI.
This article is part of a series, Bots and ballots: How artificial intelligence is reshaping elections worldwide, presented by Luminate. The article is produced with full editorial independence by POLITICO reporters and editors. Learn more about editorial content presented by outside advertisers.
