AI boom sparks a lobbying boom

The ideas and innovators shaping health care

May 31, 2024 View in browser   By Erin Schumaker, Daniel Payne and Ruth Reader WASHINGTON WATCH Public Citizen President Robert Weissman wants to see more guardrails to protect consumers from AI. | Getty Images Lobbyists say they’re doing a lot of work on artificial intelligence in health care, according to a new report from the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. The group found that the health care sector is among the industries with the most lobbyists — at 179 — engaged on AI, our Ben Leonard reports. That’s about 5 percent of all lobbyists who said they work on issues related to the new tech. Why it matters: It’s not clear what all the lobbying is about. Federal lobbying disclosure forms aren’t very specific, but Public Citizen expects it has to do with potential regulation of the technology. “As federal agencies move forward with developing guardrails for AI technologies, stakeholders will likely rely even more on their lobbyists to shape how AI policy is formed,” the group said in the report. The bigger picture: The lobbying blitz comes as lawmakers on Capitol Hill mull regulating artificial intelligence in the sector — something Public Citizen is lobbying for — though Congress doesn’t appear close to passing a bill soon. Lawmakers have broadly focused on ensuring AI doesn’t cause unnecessary harm and incentivizing innovation and research.   THE GOLD STANDARD OF HEALTHCARE POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries, like healthcare, equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists. Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced and better sourced than any other. Our healthcare reporting team—including Alice Miranda Ollstein, Megan Messerly and Robert King—is embedded with the market-moving legislative committees and agencies in Washington and across states, delivering unparalleled coverage of health policy and the healthcare industry. We bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY.     WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE Washington, D.C. | Shawn Zeller/POLITICO This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. The Food and Drug Administration plans to release guidance this year on using artificial intelligence to develop new drugs, an agency official said this week. Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Carmen Paun at cpaun@politico.com, Daniel Payne at dpayne@politico.com, Ruth Reader at rreader@politico.com or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@politico.com. Send tips securely through SecureDrop, Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp.   CHECKUP Cancer doctors want patients to have the right to opt out of treatment with AI. | Getty Images Ethically incorporating artificial intelligence into cancer care is a tall order. That’s according to a small survey published in JAMA Network Open, in which researchers asked oncologists whether they thought patients should have to consent to AI’s use in their cancer treatment. The survey of 204 U.S.-based oncologists was conducted from November 2022 to July 2023. By the numbers:  — 85 percent of the oncologists said that while they need to understand how AI tools work, their patients didn’t necessarily need to. — 81 percent of the oncologists said patients should have the right to opt out of AI’s use in their treatment. — 47 percent of the oncologists thought liability related to AI’s use in medicine should be doctors’ shared responsibility, while 91 percent thought AI developers should be responsible. — 77 percent of the oncologists said they felt responsible for protecting their patients from AI bias, but only 28 percent felt confident in their ability to do so. The responses were at times paradoxical, the researchers wrote, pointing to the oncologists’ view that patients don’t need to understand AI but should have the option to refuse its use. There was also a gap between oncologists’ perceived responsibility to protect patients and their ability to do so. “Together, these data characterize barriers that may impede the ethical adoption of AI into cancer care,” the researchers wrote. Why it matters: For now, it’s not clear who should be held liable when AI harms patients, for example, by providing an incorrect diagnosis or suggesting an inappropriate treatment. And, as Daniel reported earlier this year, health care quality, patient rights and millions of dollars in malpractice payouts are at stake.    DON’T MISS POLITICO’S ENERGY SUMMIT: The future of energy faces a crossroads in 2024 as policymakers and industry leaders shape new rules, investments and technologies. Join POLITICO’s Energy Summit on June 5 as we convene top voices to examine the shifting global policy environment in a year of major elections in the U.S. and around the world. POLITICO will examine how governments are writing and rewriting new rules for the energy future and America’s own role as a major exporter. REGISTER HERE.     POLICY PUZZLE When prices rise, people seem to drink less. | AP Photo A tax on sugary drinks appears to be working in the fight against childhood obesity, according to new research published in JAMA Network Open. How so? Researchers reviewed the effects of a $1.75-per-ounce tax that Seattle imposed on sweetened beverages in 2017. They found Seattle kids had lower average body mass index, a measure of weight compared to height, after the tax was implemented compared with children in areas without a tax. Why it matters: Obesity is a growing concern for doctors and policymakers, given its association with a number of chronic conditions. Data showing the effectiveness of a tax on sweetened drinks could attract more policymakers to pursue similar policies. Even so: The study didn’t track the number of sweetened beverages consumed, which researchers conceded weakened the association between the tax and the decrease in kids’ BMI. Other factors could have played a role.   Follow us on Twitter Carmen Paun @carmenpaun Daniel Payne @_daniel_payne Ruth Reader @RuthReader Erin Schumaker @erinlschumaker   Follow us

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