Schumer opens door to detente with Musk

Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader from New York, held a meeting with the technology mogul Elon Musk at his office in Capitol Hill that lasted more than an hour this week. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the future of artificial intelligence (AI), which could signal a possible improvement in the relationship between Democrats and one of the most influential CEOs in the country.

Since Elon Musk announced his intention to purchase Twitter last year, the relationship between Democratic lawmakers and him had been deteriorating. The decision to remove content moderators from the company and to reinstate former President Trump's account had outraged many Democrats. They were also unhappy that one of the wealthiest individuals in the country was suddenly in control of what they viewed as the nation's digital public space.

Lawmakers had expressed concerns about Musk's plans for the company and the potential influence of foreign sources of money on its heavily indebted operations.

Despite Musk's previous support for Republican candidates during the midterm elections, he recently contacted Schumer to discuss the future of AI, a topic that policymakers and investors believe will have a significant impact on the economy.

This meeting between Schumer and Musk occurred a year after the Democratic leader expressed concerns about Musk's acquisition of the company. In April of last year, when asked about Musk's purchase of Twitter, Schumer told reporters that Twitter had become a dark place and expressed his hope that it wouldn't get any darker.

In December, Schumer stated that he would consider reviewing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields social media companies from legal liability. This comment was made in response to reports that hate speech had increased significantly on Twitter since Musk took control of the company.

Last year, several other Democrats shared concerns about Musk's acquisition of Twitter.

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin from Illinois, for instance, asked Musk if he would include Donald Trump on his message board, which he described as a global platform. Durbin believed that if Musk allowed Trump to express his views on Twitter, it would not be in the best interest of Americans' future.

When Musk restored Trump's Twitter account in November, it confirmed the Democrats' fears. Under previous ownership, the company had permanently suspended Trump's account after the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Derrick Johnson, the President of NAACP, accused Musk of permitting "hate speech and violent conspiracies" on Twitter and urged advertisers to halt their funding of the platform immediately.

A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Southern California, the University of California (Los Angeles and Merced), and Oregon State University, revealed that hate speech on Twitter has doubled since Musk took over the company in October. This study was published last week.

Musk's relationship with Democrats didn't improve significantly in the following months. In January, Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts raised concerns about Twitter's opaque financing and questioned the potential influence of foreign interests over the social media platform in the lead-up to the 2024 election. She highlighted the implications for national security, democracy, commercial interests, and even how people communicate with each other.

In October, Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut called for the Treasury Department's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to investigate Twitter's ownership and governance. He raised concerns about Musk's financing of the purchase of the company with at least $1.89 billion from members of the Saudi royal family. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Murphy warned that the potential for increased censorship, misinformation, or political violence resulting from Twitter's foreign ownership was a serious national security concern, regardless of the vast stores of data that Twitter has collected on American citizens.

However, relations between Musk and Democrats have recently shown signs of improvement. Earlier this month, Schumer announced that he has been discussing a high-level regulatory framework for artificial intelligence with experts and circulating it for feedback. Under his proposal, companies would be required to allow independent experts to review and test AI technologies before releasing them to the public.

The announcement made by Schumer regarding the regulatory framework for AI was welcomed by Musk, who called it “good news”. He emphasized the importance of AI regulation, which he believes will have a significant impact on society. The topic of AI was reportedly discussed at length during Schumer and Musk’s private meeting on Wednesday. Musk later tweeted about the power of AI and its potential for both good and evil, and stated that it should be regulated to ensure that companies do not take shortcuts that may put the safety of the public at risk.

Schumer characterized his meeting with Musk as positive, noting that they also discussed Tesla's plant in Buffalo, New York. Musk is the CEO of multiple companies, including Tesla and Twitter, as well as SpaceX, a manufacturer of rockets and spacecraft. Despite their previous disagreements, Jim Kessler, a former Schumer aide who is now the executive vice president for policy at the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way, stated that Schumer has a history of collaborating with individuals with whom he may not see eye-to-eye on other issues. Kessler added that Schumer is a pragmatist who prioritizes supporting the development of factories in Buffalo, New York.

There are differing opinions among Senate Democrats on whether it's wise to improve relations with Musk, given his controversial statements and management of Twitter. However, Senator Schumer is a pragmatist who seeks input from a wide range of voices, including those who may disagree with him on other issues.

Jim Kessler, a former Schumer aide who now serves as executive vice president for policy at Third Way, said that the Senator is very interested in and concerned about AI and will seek out the smartest voices on all sides of the debate. He added that Schumer talks to a wide array of people and will take their input into account.

Centrist Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) emphasized the importance of trying to get along with everyone, noting that Musk employs a significant number of people.

Despite some Democrats expressing reservations or negative views of Elon Musk, others acknowledge the need to address issues related to social media, such as Section 230.

Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) said, "My views on Musk at the moment are pretty negative...there's a whole array of those kinds of issues that surround social media." Section 230 is a U.S. law provision that protects social media companies from legal liability for content posted on their platforms.

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) expressed concern over Musk's unilateral control of Twitter and the power it gives him. "One person should not be able to go off in secret and fulfill his every whim by whatever set of rules he wants to put in place and however he wants to change them, hide them or use them to further his other interests," she said.

According to Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who is involved in tech-related issues, he has great respect for Elon Musk and his achievements. However, Warner also expressed concern about some of Musk's remarks regarding the Communist Party in China and their approach. Musk was previously criticized for suggesting that Taiwan could become a special administrative zone under Chinese rule and for making favorable comparisons between China and certain regions in the US. Democrats' apprehension about foreign influence on Twitter was reignited when Chinese state-run media cautioned Musk against responding to tweets about the COVID-19 virus leak from a research laboratory in Wuhan.

Schumer opens door to detente with Musk