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asad ramzanali

@asad09.bsky.social

38 followers 29 following 21 posts

AI & tech policy, Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator

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asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 2d

A few trillion-dollar companies now comprise an AI oligopoly. Nvidia's announcement to invest $100B in OpenAI makes things worse. As I say in TIME, vertical integration is about money, control, and power. Policymakers should reject such combinations. time.com/7322418/chat...

We Need to Break Up Big AI Before It Breaks Us

When the same few companies own the entire tech stack, they stop competing and start colluding.

Reposted by asad ramzanali

David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 9d

We're introducing a new section today called Big Ideas, exploring next-generation solutions for pressing policy problems. Today James Baratta looks at a new report on how to structure the cloud computing industry.
prospect.org/power/2025-0...

AI’s $600 Billion Blind Spot

A new report offers a legislative road map for creating a competitive and secure cloud computing market, without forcing policymakers to reinvent the wheel.

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 9d

Thank you to @prospect.org for featuring my paper, How to Regulate the Cloud. Their focus on the market as “AI’s $600 Billion Blind Spot” brings attention to an ignored part of the AI policy debate. Grateful to see this important conversation gaining wider attention.

The American Prospect @prospect.org · 9d

The market for cloud computing is huge, but policymakers should pay attention to a new report that shows them how to address the market’s failures and the national-security risks they create. From James Baratta:

trib.al/tTK5pda

AI’s $600 Billion Blind Spot

A new report offers a legislative road map for creating a competitive and secure cloud computing market, without forcing policymakers to reinvent the wheel.

Reposted by asad ramzanali

The American Prospect @prospect.org · 9d

The market for cloud computing is huge, but policymakers should pay attention to a new report that shows them how to address the market’s failures and the national-security risks they create. From James Baratta:

trib.al/tTK5pda

AI’s $600 Billion Blind Spot

A new report offers a legislative road map for creating a competitive and secure cloud computing market, without forcing policymakers to reinvent the wheel.

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 20d

Here’s how we get the healthy, secure cloud market we need. vanderbiltpolicyaccelerator.substack.com/p/why-and-ho...

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 20d

My paper is a blueprint for reform based on tried & tested regulations: structural separation, neutrality, interoperability, critical infrastructure designation, foreign ownership restrictions, & know-your-customer requirements.

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 20d

Our reliance on an unregulated and oligopolistic cloud market that is central to the AI race w/ China is a glaring national security risk.

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 20d

Opaque pricing and high switching costs, including “egress fees” just to move your own data out, make things worse. These failures stifle innovation and lock in dependence on a few players.

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 20d

Amazon, Microsoft, Google control two-thirds of the market, making it a clear oligopoly. Each is a vertically integrated conglomerate. For AI companies, cloud providers are simultaneously suppliers, customers, competitors, and investors, creating massive conflicts of interest.

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 20d

Cloud companies pulled in >$600B of revenue–multiples of AI companies. For context, AWS raked in $108B in 2024, while by comparison, OpenAI is hauling in $12B/yr. Even semiconductor companies don’t make as much as AWS.

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · 20d

The cloud computing industry is rife with market failures, and it poses risks to national security. In a new paper, I show how to fix the cloud before it fails us. cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-URL/wp-co...

Reposted by asad ramzanali

David Brody @dbrody.bsky.social · Aug 31

“Between May 2023 and November 2024, only 27.2% of total ChatGPT application downloads are estimated to have come from women. Similarly low shares of mobile downloads by women were seen on Anthropic’s Claude and Perplexity.”

The Large Gender Gap in Who Uses AI

A recent study finds that AI usage tilts heavily toward men. Part of the reason: Women worried they might be penalized for using AI.

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · Aug 28

@ganeshsitaraman.bsky.social and I have a new piece in Commonplace, “No Handouts for Data Centers.”

Research shows that subsidizing sports stadium construction doesn't pay off. Now states are subsidizing data centers. That won't work either. www.commonplace.org/p/no-handout...

No Handouts for Data Centers

They don’t work for stadiums, and they won’t work for AI.

www.commonplace.org

Reposted by asad ramzanali

Gretchen Goldman, PhD @gretchentg.bsky.social · Aug 14

My new @science.org editorial on the role of scientists in defending democracy is out today. As authoritarianism takes hold in the US, we must fight for the democratic principles that enable a free society and scientists have a key role. I hope you'll join us.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Scientists’ role in defending democracy

The United States’ democratic leadership, commitment to freedom of expression, and investment in the pursuit of knowledge have long enabled its preeminence in science and technology. Yet today we are ...

www.science.org

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · Aug 9

vote for my SXSW panel please! @jbbranch.bsky.social and @kate-brennan.bsky.social will discuss this admin's AI policy and how things are going.

participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...

PanelPicker | SXSW Conference & Festivals

PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform. Enter ideas and vote to help shape Conference programming for SXSW and SXSW EDU.

participate.sxsw.com

Reposted by asad ramzanali

David Brody @dbrody.bsky.social · Aug 7

As a former college newspaper editor, bravo to the Stanford Daily for standing up for their rights and protecting their community.

Student papers are made by passionate, hardworking journalists. There are many independent ones nationwide who can fight back even when their schools capitulate.

Stanford newspaper sues Trump administration over student deportations

The lawsuit challenges Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s ability to revoke student visas and deem an individual deportable based on the content of their speech.

www.washingtonpost.com

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · Aug 7

great work by @geomblog.bsky.social @costasamaras.com ‪@colesci.bsky.social!

Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · Aug 7

Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Costas Samaras, and Cole Donovan worked on AI policy in the Biden administration. They say the stated goals of Trump’s AI Action Plan conflict with this administration’s actions, and will ultimately undermine US interests. www.techpolicy.press/trumps-ai-st...

Trump’s AI Strategy Is At War With Itself | TechPolicy.Press

Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Costas Samaras, and Cole Donovan say the stated goals of the AI Action Plan conflict with the Trump administration’s actions.

www.techpolicy.press

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · Jul 30

Great piece on the geopolitical AI competition getting distilled to a rush for AI adoption while ignoring other societal values. As I told Ian, American leadership in AI is not the same thing as driving larger profits for American companies

Ian Krietzberg @iankrietzberg.bsky.social · Jul 29

In my latest for Puck, I dug into at least one aspect of the development of AI that feels so distinct: the fact that governments around the world are pushing really hard, not just to advance the state of AI, but to drive adoption of it

puck.news/governments-...

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

Reposted by asad ramzanali

MIT Technology Review @technologyreview.com · Jul 24

Opinion: Despite a flurry of actions this week to extend AI leadership, the Trump administration is dismantling the very advantages that established America’s global lead in AI in the first place.

Trump’s AI Action Plan is a distraction

Despite a flurry of actions this week to extend AI leadership, the administration is dismantling the very advantages that established America’s global lead in AI in the first place.

www.technologyreview.com

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · Jul 24

Antitrust: Federal antitrust actions against AT&T, IBM, Microsoft allowed chip, software, internet, and AI markets to flourish with competition. Trump’s AI action plan signals halting Big Tech investigations and weaken settlements. 7/7

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · Jul 24

Noncompetes: Silicon Valley’s history—chips, then software, internet companies recently, and AI now—was built on CA’s constitution effectively banning noncompetes. A Trump judge and this FTC are stalling Biden efforts for a national ban. 6/7

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · Jul 24

Immigration: Transformers—the T in ChatGPT—were developed by a mostly immigrant team. Most leading AI startups have an immigrant founder. Trump’s anti-immigrant policies are driving top AI talent away. 5/7

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · Jul 24

R&D: Modern AI systems are products of decades of taxpayer-funded R&D from agencies like DOD, NSF, and NIH. Instead of investing more, Trump is cutting research, firing federal scientists, and squeezing research universities. 4/7

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · Jul 24

American AI leadership was built by public R&D, immigrants, California’s ban on noncompetes, and strong antitrust enforcement. This Admin is undermining each one. 3/7

asad ramzanali @asad09.bsky.social · Jul 24

Yesterday’s executive orders and action plan came with a political speech and glitzy press, but most of the policies are designed to enrich Big Tech and do little for US leadership. 2/7