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.