Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios
Tech debates over AI, protecting kids online, and remaining globally competitive took on new life in 2024 with a presidential election and shakeup of Congress.
- Here's what we heard was most memorable from D.C. insiders.
Craig Albright of BSA: "The dam on AI regulation started to break this year — not in Washington, but in statehouses across the country."
- "After bills passed in Colorado and California, batten down the hatches in 2025, because a wave is coming."
Brad Carson of Americans for Responsible Innovation: "This was the year the wall came down between AI developers and the defense industry."
- "For the Trump Administration, that's going to mean more tools for revamping national security, but also more questions on how these tools can be safely deployed with human oversight."
Meredith Attwell Baker of CTIA – The Wireless Association: "This year was the 30th anniversary of the first spectrum auction."
- "This innovative form of allocation spectrum won the Nobel Prize and raised more than $233B for the US Treasury. This anniversary highlighted how important renewing auction authority with a pipeline of 5G spectrum is for America's innovation leadership and economic competitiveness."
Josh Golin of Fairplay: While advocates are still fighting for the Kids Online Safety Act, Golin said what was most memorable to him "was the amazing survivor parents who lost their children to online harms and worked tirelessly to promote KOSA so no other family has to experience their pain."
- "Thanks to these moms and dads, I can envision a day when Big Tech can no longer send our kids down deadly rabbit holes or make them vulnerable to predators and mental health harms."
