Realizing that his young adult children and their generation had been very poorly served by a failed policy experiment to let social media go completely unchecked with no regulation for 20 years, Rob Eleveld, who has an extensive background as the CEO of tech software and data companies, co-founded the Transparency Coalition in 2023.

Eleveld talked with podcast host Frank Knapp about the mission of his coalition, which says that the health and well-being of US citizens, especially children, has been an afterthought in the race towards profits masked as innovation. The sexual and suicide grooming of children by AI generated chat boxes are horrific examples of why states should regulate AI.

He says that the tech lobby has DC wired so that it won’t pass the AI regulation that President Trump called for in his recent Executive Order, which called for an almost complete ban on states regulating AI. He says that no AI regulation already passed has impacted national security and innovation, the concerns stated by the President.

Eleveld lists laws passed in red states that are good examples of needed legislation in every state. His coalition advocates that the AI industry should be held accountable for the harm it causes to our citizens and businesses under existing product liability laws. He says that small businesses in particular are very exposed if they use AI systems because the AI companies shove all liability in the use of their systems onto the business. Eleveld calls for laws to make the developer of the product also liable.

Dori Jaffe has a difficult job--as the national Sierra Clubs' managing attorney she oversees the organization's work in numerous states advocating the creation of regulations needed to protect consumers from paying higher electric rates due to the growth of data centers.

She discusses with podcast host Frank Knapp how large load tariffs and new cost of service models are essential to protect residential and small business electricity customer from subsidizing Google, Meta and other Big Tech companies being served by data centers.

Jaffe also dismisses the claims of Big Tech companies that they want to pay their "fair share" of energy costs. She warns that state legislators should understand that these social media giants define "fair share" as simply paying their electric bills, not actually paying for all the new energy generation and transmission costs they are creating.

Finally, she discusses models other states have developed and are developing to make sure that consumers are not subsidizing the profits of Big Tech.

Representative Brandon Guffey of York County talks with podcast host Frank Knapp about the loss of his son due to sextortion and what he has and is doing to stop other children from this crime and other threats from Artificial Intelligence industry.

He describes how children are being extorted for money and even commit crimes to keep private photos they have shared after being lured into fake online relationships.

Rep. Guffey has become a national leader in the effort to protect children from algorithms used by tech companies to push pornography, misinformation, and extreme positions on to children. He says that interactive features like Chatbox AI have even promoted children to commit suicide.

Rep. Guffey is passionate about stopping efforts by President Trump and bipartisan members of Congress to stop states from regulating AI. Social media companies are spending hundreds of millions in support of national efforts to pre-empt states from enacting AI regulations.

He blames a 1996 law passed by Congress to protect social media companies from being held liable for gross negligence impacting anyone over the age of 13. He blames social media’s deep pockets as the reason Congress has not amended that law to protect children.