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FTC Appoints Former Heritage Foundation Tech Policy Expert as Chief Technology Officer

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The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has appointed Jake Denton, a former tech policy researcher from the conservative Heritage Foundation, as its new chief technology officer. Denton, who graduated from American University in 2021, shared the news of his appointment on X on Monday. He replaces Stephanie Nguyen, who served in the role since 2022 under former FTC Chair Lina Khan.

The FTC introduced the role of chief technologist during the Obama administration to offer guidance on emerging technology policy issues, with a focus on digital markets, competition, and consumer protection. Denton’s appointment comes as Andrew Ferguson begins his tenure as the new chairman of the FTC. Ferguson has voiced concerns about the dominance of Big Tech companies but has also cautioned against over-regulating the tech industry in a way that might hinder U.S. innovation.

Denton has previously expressed his views on artificial intelligence (AI) policy, calling for Congress to pass AI legislation in a Fox News interview in July 2023. In an opinion piece co-authored with Kara Frederick, the Heritage Foundation’s tech policy director, Denton emphasized the need for the U.S. and its allies to take a leading role in setting international AI standards. They warned that if democracies don’t write the rules for emerging technologies like AI, authoritarian regimes may take the lead in shaping them.

Before joining the Heritage Foundation, Denton interned in Congress and completed a fellowship with the Federalist Society. His appointment signals the FTC’s continued focus on regulating emerging technologies like AI and digital markets, areas where the agency has launched investigations in the past under Chair Khan, particularly into AI partnerships such as Microsoft’s and OpenAI’s collaboration.

It remains to be seen whether Ferguson, along with Denton, will continue investigations into Big Tech, including ongoing probes into Microsoft and OpenAI’s potentially anticompetitive conduct and whether OpenAI violated consumer protection laws. The FTC is also preparing for a high-profile trial in April over Meta Platforms’ acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, and continues to pursue legal action against Amazon over alleged anti-competitive practices.

France Secures 110 Billion Euros in AI Investment Pledges at Summit

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French President Emmanuel Macron revealed on Monday that a total of 109 billion euros ($112 billion) in investment pledges have been made to boost France’s artificial intelligence (AI) sector over the coming years. The announcements were made during the Paris AI summit and include notable pledges from various global investors.

Among the major commitments is a 20 billion euro pledge from Canadian investment firm Brookfield, directed toward AI projects in France, as well as funding from the United Arab Emirates potentially reaching up to 50 billion euros in the future.

Here are some key pledges and investments:

  • Amazon: The U.S. retail giant pledged over 1.2 billion euros at the 2023 Choose France summit, contributing to a broader 6 billion euro investment plan to develop cloud infrastructure in France by 2031.

  • Apollo Global Management: The alternative asset manager has committed an initial tranche of funding for AI-related energy investments, totaling $5 billion.

  • Digital Realty: The real estate investment trust, which focuses on managed data centers, plans to expand its data center presence in Paris and Marseille, with investments potentially reaching 6 billion euros.

  • Equinix: The data center firm has pledged 630 million euros as part of a broader 750 million euro investment to establish 10 data centers around Paris and one in Bordeaux.

  • Fluidstack: The AI cloud platform company signed a memorandum of understanding with the French government to build one of the world’s largest AI supercomputers, powered by French nuclear energy. The project is expected to receive an initial investment of 10 billion euros, with operations set to begin by 2026.

  • Mistral AI: Backed by Nvidia, the French startup behind the AI assistant Le Chat, plans to create Europe’s largest supercomputer and expand its partnerships with French companies such as Veolia and Dassault Systems.

The pledge of nearly 110 billion euros signals France’s ambition to become a leading force in AI development and infrastructure, attracting substantial investments from both domestic and international sources.

Brazil Denies Report of Tax on US Tech Firms Amid Trump Steel Tariffs

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Brazil’s Finance Minister, Fernando Haddad, denied reports on Monday suggesting that the country was considering imposing taxes on U.S. tech companies in response to President Donald Trump’s proposed 25% tariff on all U.S. steel imports.

The speculation arose after a report from the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, which claimed that the administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was contemplating levying tariffs on major tech firms as a retaliatory measure.

Haddad quickly refuted the claims on social media, emphasizing that the information was inaccurate. He reiterated that the Brazilian government would only make official statements based on concrete decisions, not speculative announcements that could be misinterpreted or later changed.

The report had suggested that tech giants such as Amazon (AMZN.O), Meta Platforms (META.O), and Alphabet (GOOGL.O) could be targeted by such a tax. However, Haddad’s remarks clarified that no such plans were under consideration at this time.

Brazil, a significant supplier of U.S. steel imports, also serves as a key market for many large tech companies, which would have been affected by such a tax. The denial comes as Trump is set to introduce additional tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, escalating his trade policy strategy.