US politicians from both parties are being wined and dined by Big Tech to keep AI free of regulation, which is bad news for ordinary people worried about jobs, water, and pollution.

• Americans on the left and right are turning against AI, but the government has little interest in regulating it.
• People organizing against AI data centers are reportedly being labeled extremists on a government list.
• Tech lobbyists treated congressional staffers from both parties to an all-expenses-paid retreat in Austin.
• The trip was run through a non-lobbyist arm to dodge lobbying rules, while the industry spends millions pushing for no AI regulation.
• The goal is a national standard that overrides state AI rules, so companies face as few limits as possible.

Outlook: With both parties courted by tech money, meaningful AI regulation looks unlikely in the near term.