AI Regulation & Policy

Today's Stories

1. 1

   AI tax could curb layoffs, study suggests

   A study suggests that an AI tax could disincentivize human layoffs, according to a Marketplace article. The idea of taxing AI adoption is being discussed as a way to protect jobs, but its feasibility and impact are still under debate.

   Whether policymakers will seriously consider an AI tax based on this study's findings, and what the broader economic implications might be.

2. 2

   New Britain Urged to Build AI Apprenticeship Layer

   A commentary argues New Britain should create an AI apprenticeship layer to train workers for AI-related roles. The proposal aims to address the skills gap and prepare the local workforce for AI-driven changes in the economy.

   Whether local policymakers or businesses take up this recommendation to develop a formal training pipeline.

3. 3

   Sony Music Publishers Sue Anthropic Over AI Song Learning

   Sony Music Group's publishing arm has filed a lawsuit against Anthropic, alleging the AI company used songs for AI training without permission. This is a direct legal challenge to the practice of training AI models on copyrighted music, a core issue for the music industry as AI-generated content grows.

   The lawsuit's outcome could set a precedent for how AI companies must handle copyrighted material when training their models.

4. 4

   US Support for AI Data Centers Collapses, Poll Shows

   A new poll from Embold Research and Heatmap Pro shows 75% of Americans now oppose building AI data centers in their area, with 61% strongly opposed. This is a sharp reversal from a year ago when 43% expressed support and 42% opposed. The drop in support is uniform across all demographics, including age, gender, income, and party. Data centers are 43 points underwater with Republicans, 65 points with independents, and 75 points with Democrats. Observers call it a swift, historic shift in public opinion.

   The backlash comes despite President Donald Trump touting data centers as a job source. Critics point to secret NDAs, job displacement predictions, and rising utility bills and pollution as reasons for voter distrust.

5. 5

   Texas Governor Abbott blocks funding for more Flock cameras

   Texas Governor Greg Abbott has frozen state spending on Flock's AI surveillance cameras. This came just before a Texas Tribune investigation revealed the state spent over $30 million on them, funded by a $1 fee on insurance policies. Flock cameras have drawn bipartisan backlash over privacy concerns, with incidents of officer misuse, data-sharing scrutiny, and cameras near playgrounds. Cities across the country, including many in Texas, are canceling contracts, and Abbott's opponent Gina Hinojosa has criticized the expansion.

   The freeze follows at least six officer misuse incidents in Texas alone and a Republican representative's public stance against the surveillance state, suggesting growing political pressure on AI surveillance.

6. 6

   Sony and Warner sue Anthropic over song lyrics

   Sony Music, Warner Music, and other publishers sued Anthropic in federal court in Northern California, accusing the company of illegally downloading and using tens of thousands of copyrighted musical compositions—mostly song lyrics, plus sheet music and derivative works—to train Claude. The 48-page complaint names CEO Dario Amodei and co-founder Benjamin Mann as individual defendants for allegedly directing and overseeing the torrenting of copyrighted files. The plaintiffs call it "one of the largest and most blatant ongoing thefts of intellectual property in history." They seek up to $150,000 per infringed work and up to $25,000 per violation for unlawful removal of copyright management information. This is Anthropic's second major copyright fight: in September 2025, it agreed to the largest copyright settlement in U.S. history, paying $1.5 billion to authors and publishers for using pirated books during AI training.

   The complaint targets Anthropic's alleged torrenting of at least seven million books from pirate libraries LibGen and PiLiMi, treating that downloading as standalone infringement. It also alleges Anthropic trained at least one commercial Claude model on synthetic data from a non-commercial model that had learned from LibGen and PiLiMi texts—an argument that could hinge on how "training" is defined. A related Munich court ruling in November 2025 could set a precedent, as it held model operators responsible for producing copyrighted lyrics.