Austin News

U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has raised concerns about the Biden-Harris administration's collaboration with the RAND Corporation in drafting the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Executive Order. In a letter to RAND’s president and CEO, Cruz highlighted RAND’s significant funding from tech billionaires who support the “effective altruism” movement and its past involvement in government efforts to censor online speech.

The letter details RAND’s role in developing a controversial censorship model within the government aimed at tracking misinformation via Meta’s virtual reality system. This comes amid revelations that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted to working with the Biden-Harris administration to censor COVID-19 information and acknowledged Facebook's suppression of a New York Post story about Hunter Biden’s laptop.

Cruz wrote to RAND President and CEO Jason Matheny: “It is no secret that under the guise of protecting the public from various, subjective and amorphous harms, the Biden-Harris administration engaged in 'a far-reaching and widespread censorship campaign' against Americans who engaged in so-called 'misinformation' on social media platforms.”

Cruz expressed concerns about Vice President Harris’s role as "AI Czar" and her efforts to control AI development and influence online content. He specifically requested information on RAND’s involvement in drafting Executive Order 14110, which aims for "Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence."

The senator argued that the AI Executive Order seeks to control speech by requiring companies to submit detailed reports certifying compliance with AI safety standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He claimed this could stifle innovation while protecting established industry players.

Cruz also questioned RAND’s ties to major AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, noting financial contributions from these entities towards Harris's presidential campaign. He cited contracts awarded to RAND by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for research related to misinformation, disinformation, or mal-information (MDM), raising concerns about potential censorship of certain viewpoints.

The letter emphasized that RAND is aligning its research with the Biden-Harris administration's AI Executive Order while pushing for permanent legislative measures. These include content moderation requirements and holding generative AI developers accountable for user-generated material.

Cruz concluded by requesting information about RAND personnel involved in advising on or drafting the AI Executive Order before its publication. He encouraged those with knowledge of these matters to contact his office directly.

Read Full Letter HERE.