{"id":4335,"date":"2023-09-11T14:53:52","date_gmt":"2023-09-11T14:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thornrun.com\/?p=4335"},"modified":"2023-09-26T18:42:20","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T18:42:20","slug":"in-bgov-trps-andy-rosenberg-offers-commentary-on-lobbying-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thornrun.com\/in-bgov-trps-andy-rosenberg-offers-commentary-on-lobbying-ai\/","title":{"rendered":"In BGov, TRP\u2019s Andy Rosenberg Offers Commentary on Lobbying &#038; AI"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p>Thorn Run\u2019s Andy Rosenberg recently sat down for an interview with\u00a0<em>Bloomberg Government\u00a0<\/em>for an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/about.bgov.com\/news\/lobbyists-flirt-with-ai-while-remaining-cautious-of-its-promises\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">article<\/a>\u00a0that describes how government affairs firms like TRP are approaching the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).<\/p>\r\n<p>Rosenberg astutely notes that, while AI is not a substitute for the human element of government relations, the industry must learn to embrace it.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cIf we want to be known, and if we want to be effective, as lobbyists in this space, we ought to use the technology,\u201d said Rosenberg. \u201cOur entire team needs to be trained on how to harness AI, but also not to become lazy or over-reliant on it. It can\u2019t replace critical thinking or strategic planning, and at present it will never get the voice just right.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>The article in its entirety can be viewed below.<\/p>\r\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\r\n<p>Lobbyists Flirt with AI While Remaining Cautious of its Promises<\/p>\r\n<cite>Lobbyists are scrambling to put their imprint on federal oversight of artificial intelligence and grappling with its influence on their own profession even as they predict robot-lobbyists will likely remain in the realm of science fiction.<br \/><br \/>Some lobbyists say they\u2019re willing to embrace generative AI. They have begun to experiment with it to ease tedious and time-consuming tasks, such as legislative analysis, background research and drafting client memos. Others, eyeing it with trepidation, say they\u2019re holding off to see how it evolves.<br \/><br \/>Lobbying in the future, they predict, will still hinge largely on human connections and relationships \u2013 the kind cultivated over late-night deal-making in congressional offices or grueling, junk-food-fueled weeks on the campaign trail.<br \/><br \/>Still, lobbyists are reckoning with possible dramatic shifts in how they, and the officials they seek to influence, do their jobs.<br \/><br \/>\u201cAI will never replace the human element of lobbying,\u201d said Andy Rosenberg, a founder of the lobbying firm Thorn Run Partners. \u201cBut with regard to our business, and the way we service our clients, we have to embrace it.\u201d<br \/><br \/>Health care, financial services and technology companies are all looking to influence Capitol Hill and the executive branch on whether and how to regulate AI. It\u2019s a hot topic in Congress. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) is hosting a who\u2019s who of executives, including Tesla\u2019s Elon Musk, Sept. 13 for a forum on AI.<br \/><br \/>Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, right, shakes hands with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) before the start of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law Subcommittee hearing on Oversight of A.I. on May 16.<br \/><br \/>Lawmakers already have offered legislation this Congress dealing with AI including a bill (H.R. 4223) to create a national AI commission and measures (H.R, 5077, S. 2714) that would set out a shared infrastructure for AI research.<br \/><br \/>Rosenberg says lobbyists need to be familiar with the technology if they\u2019re to speak with credibility to lawmakers and clients.<br \/><br \/>\u201cIf we want to be known, and if we want to be effective, as lobbyists in this space, we ought to use the technology,\u201d said Rosenberg whose shop is using AI for early drafts of writing and for policy research. \u201cOur entire team needs to be trained on how to harness AI, but also not to become lazy or over-reliant on it. It can\u2019t replace critical thinking or strategic planning, and at present it will never get the voice just right.\u201d<br \/><br \/>The rise of social media and online activism, even the Zoom advocacy of the Covid pandemic, has not supplanted in-person lobbying. Veteran lobbyists say they don\u2019t expect AI will, either, at least not anytime soon.<br \/><br \/>\u201cIf you can have 10 virtual meetings a day versus three or four in person, I would take those three or four. Points resonate better in person,\u201d said Joseph Hoefer, a lobbyist at Monument Advocacy, who regularly gives presentations, to clients and potential clients, on how AI might transform lobbying.<br \/><br \/>More likely, he said, it\u2019ll save a lobbying team on the backend; instead of hours reading through legislation, AI can analyze text in minutes. A human still has to read it now.<br \/>\u201cWe don\u2019t really trust it yet,\u201d he said.<br \/><br \/><strong>Tricky Balance<\/strong><br \/>That makes for a tricky balance. Not using AI might put a firm at a competitive disadvantage, while going all-in too quickly poses risks, Hoefer said.<br \/><br \/>Michael O\u2019Brien, vice president of global public affairs for BSA | The Software Alliance, said that lobbyists, like members of Congress, are \u201ctrying to wrap their arms around this technology and what it means \u2013 and whether it presents any specific risks.\u201d<br \/><br \/>Some also say they worry about AI-generated lobbying campaigns confusing Congress about what their real constituents think about an issue.<br \/><br \/>\u201cAI could be used for nefarious purposes to simulate or impersonate constituent communications,\u201d said Brad Fitch, president and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation. \u201cThe good news is Congress is taking it seriously.\u201d<br \/><br \/>Paul Miller, a longtime lobbyist, said he\u2019s been a skeptic but has come to believe that AI will transform his profession.<br \/><br \/>The National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics, a group he started, is planning a Zoom session later this month dubbed \u201cHarnessing the Power of AI in Modern Advocacy Campaigns.\u201d<br \/><br \/><strong>Game-Changer<\/strong><br \/>\u201cI am actually becoming a believer that this can really truly be a game-changer,\u201d Miller said, adding that AI will require updates to his group\u2019s code of ethics but holds promise to \u201csave us a lot of time.\u201d<br \/><br \/>Miller and others said they\u2019d resist using AI to write proposed legislative text, a possibility that raises thorny questions for lobbyists and lawmakers. But, he said, it could help smaller lobbying shops, like his, analyze legislation more quickly, perhaps helping it compete with larger firms.<br \/><br \/>Even though he sees the upside of AI, Miller said he worries that companies and groups will want to downsize their lobbying teams.<br \/><br \/>\u201cThat is a reality that could happen,\u201d he said.<br \/><br \/>Cristina Antelo, who runs Ferox Strategies, said some of her firm\u2019s junior team members use AI tools to help them monitor and transcribe congressional hearings. She said it still requires people to read and edit it.<br \/><br \/>New companies have popped up, including one called Rescript, pitching lobbyists on its tools to automatically cover hearings and generate memos, according to emails sent to lobbyists. Rescript did not return a request for comment.<br \/><br \/>Rich Gold, who runs the lobbying practice at Holland &amp; Knight, said the firm is doing a \u201ccomprehensive look\u201d at places to use AI but noted that \u201ceverything is in the formative stage.\u201d He said emerging companies show promise in covering what happens at congressional hearings, for example.<br \/><br \/>\u201cI don\u2019t think anything can replace the ability to walk into a room, read your audience in 15-30 seconds and be able to convey a message,\u201d he said.<br \/><br \/>Chloe Autio, director of policy at The Cantellus Group, which advises clients on AI and other emerging technology, said she\u2019s surprised lobbyists aren\u2019t using AI tools more now. But she noted one of the possible pitfalls: \u201cIf you\u2019re relying on something for lobbying or policy advocacy, you really want to make sure whatever source it came from is real and verifiable.\u201d<br \/><br \/><strong>\u2018Getting Our Feet Wet\u2019<\/strong><br \/>The Public Affairs Council, a group for lobbyists and communications executives, wrote this spring about\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pac.org\/impact\/how-will-chatgpt-change-your-job\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how ChatGPT might change<\/a>\u00a0the industry. ChatGPT wrote the introduction.<br \/><br \/>\u201cI told my team: \u2018Start playing around with ChatGPT, but remember you\u2019re the boss of ChatGPT, it\u2019s not the boss of you,\u2019\u201d said Laura Horsley, senior director of marketing and communications for the Public Affairs Council. \u201cWe\u2019re in the getting our feet wet stage.\u201d<br \/><br \/>Horsley said her group is wary and extra careful when using the tools but noted that it can \u201copen up new ideas and ways of thinking about something,\u201d including designing images.<br \/><br \/>Humans are still better at crafting eye-catching messages, said Adam Kovacevich, founder and CEO of Chamber of Progress, a left-leaning tech industry group. He doesn\u2019t expect robots to dominate K Street. AI text, he said, doesn\u2019t have the same kind of flair that a person can infuse in their messaging.<br \/><br \/>\u201cPart of your job is to stand out,\u201d he said. \u201cA big part of lobbying has always been relationships, and that\u2019s not going to change.\u201d<\/cite><\/blockquote>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thorn Run\u2019s Andy Rosenberg recently sat down for an interview with\u00a0Bloomberg Government\u00a0for an\u00a0article\u00a0that describes how government affairs firms like TRP are approaching the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Rosenberg astutely notes that, while AI is not a substitute for the human element of government relations, the industry must learn to embrace it. \u201cIf we want [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>In BGov, TRP\u2019s Andy Rosenberg Offers Commentary on Lobbying &amp; AI - thornrun<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thornrun.com\/in-bgov-trps-andy-rosenberg-offers-commentary-on-lobbying-ai\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In BGov, TRP\u2019s Andy Rosenberg Offers Commentary on Lobbying &amp; AI - thornrun\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Thorn Run\u2019s Andy Rosenberg recently sat down for an interview with\u00a0Bloomberg Government\u00a0for an\u00a0article\u00a0that describes how government affairs firms like TRP are approaching the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). 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