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A term used by critics to describe a political strategy in which technology companies invoke the scale and novelty of AI to argue that existing regulations are inadequate, while simultaneously lobbying against new AI-specific legislation — producing a regulatory vacuum. The argument pattern: 'This is so transformative that old rules don't fit, and new rules need careful study before enactment.' Critics argue this leaves affected parties with no protection while the technology accelerates. The term gained prominence in AI policy debates around 2024-2026.
Why this matters for your team
Track the policy positions of your AI vendors — their lobbying shapes the regulatory environment you'll operate in. When vendors argue old rules don't fit but lobby against new ones, the resulting vacuum increases your compliance uncertainty and reputational risk.
Critics described OpenAI's 2026 'Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age' paper as regulatory nihilism: proposing sweeping hypothetical federal solutions while lobbying against near-term enforceable state laws.