Polls show that a majority of US voters — and especially Democrats — want more robust guardrails on artificial intelligence , but Democratic governors’ silence on President Donald Trump’s directive banning states from regulating AI has some observers asking if lobbying by the powerful industry is to blame.

Sludge ‘s David Moore and Donald Shaw reported Friday that tech titans including OpenAI and Meta last week sent a small army of lobbyists to meet with attendees of the Democratic Governors Association’s annual meeting, held this year at the swanky Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix.

According to the report, lobbyists and governors — some of whom “are teasing White House bids in 2028 or rumored to be in the mix” — gathered for a closed-door meeting. California Gov. Gavin Newsom , Michig

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