This week’s tech policy agenda spans from safeguarding Americans’ genetic data to weighing nuclear power’s role in AI infrastructure. As Congress grapples with the national security fallout of 23andMe’s bankruptcy sale and the growing influence of AI on cybersecurity, education, and global trade, several key hearings and markups offer insight into where federal oversight may be heading next. Whether you're tracking export controls or screen time in classrooms, we’ve rounded up the briefings and backstories you need to stay informed.

In this week’s Nimitz Tech:

• Federalism: A bipartisan group of state lawmakers just drew a line in the silicon—don’t freeze us out of AI regulation.

• Monopoly: The real AI threat isn’t science fiction—it’s the consolidation of unchecked power by Big Tech.

• Foreign Policy: To win at Diplomacy, today’s top AI models learned to bluff, backstab, and betray—just like us.

WHO’S HAVING EVENTS THIS WEEK?

Tuesday June 10th

• 🧬 House Hearing: “Securing Americans’ Genetic Information: Privacy and National Security Concerns Surrounding 23andMe’s Bankruptcy Sale.” House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Hearing scheduled for 10:00 AM in HVC-210. Watch here.

• 📱 House Hearing: “Screentime in Schools.” Committee on Education and Workforce, Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. Hearing scheduled for 10:15 AM in 2175 Rayburn HOB. Watch here.

Thursday June 12th

• ☢️ House Hearing: “Powering Demand: Nuclear Solutions for AI Infrastructure.” House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, Energy Subcommittee. Hearing scheduled for 10:00 AM in 2318 Rayburn HOB. Watch here.

• 🌐 House Hearing: “Bureau of Industry and Security FY26 Budget: Export Controls and the AI Arms Race.” House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Hearing scheduled for 10:00 AM in 2172 Rayburn HOB. Watch here.

• 🏡 House Hearing: “Security to Model: Securing Artificial Intelligence to Strengthen Cybersecurity.” House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection. Hearing scheduled for 10:00 AM in 310 Canon HOB. Watch here.

What Else We’re Watching:

June 9

• 💯 2025 Washington Technology Top 100: Enjoy cocktails and networking as GovExec unveils their 2025 Washington Technology Top 100 list and recognizes the leading companies in the government contracting market. Register here.

TECH NEWS DRIVING THE WEEK

In Washington

• A coalition of 260 bipartisan state lawmakers from all 50 states is urging Congress to strip a controversial 10-year moratorium on state-level AI regulations from President Trump’s sweeping tax and immigration bill. The lawmakers argue that the freeze would prevent states from protecting residents against emerging AI-related harms, such as deepfakes, scams, and workplace disruptions, and would undermine states’ role as responsive “laboratories of democracy.” Organized by groups like Common Sense and Mothers Against Media Addiction, the letter challenges claims that patchwork laws harm innovation, asserting that no viable federal alternative exists yet. As the bill heads for Senate scrutiny under the strict Byrd Rule, the moratorium’s survival is uncertain—and even if dropped now, Republicans may pursue it again in future legislation.

• Artificial intelligence firms like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Scale AI are rapidly expanding their lobbying operations in Washington, leveraging the Trump administration’s tech-friendly agenda to secure both deregulation and lucrative federal contracts. Once cautious actors, these companies are now key players in shaping AI policy, pushing for light-touch federal rules while seeking relief from state-level oversight. Their influence is evident in legislative moves like the House-passed 10-year moratorium on state AI regulations, backed by many Republicans and aligned with industry lobbying goals—though it faces procedural hurdles in the Senate. Critics warn that as industry interests and national security rhetoric dominate the AI conversation, urgent concerns around bias, surveillance, automation, and public harm are being sidelined, leaving everyday Americans exposed while Big Tech grows ever closer to government power.

• Anthropic has launched Claude Gov, a customized suite of AI models designed exclusively for U.S. national security agencies operating in classified environments. Developed with direct input from government users, these models enhance strategic planning, intelligence analysis, and threat assessment while maintaining rigorous safety standards. Claude Gov offers improved performance on sensitive tasks, including better handling of classified data, deeper contextual understanding within defense and intelligence domains, and advanced capabilities in cybersecurity and critical foreign languages. The release underscores Anthropic’s growing role in national defense, offering tailored AI solutions aligned with mission-critical needs.

National

• A sweeping new report from AI Now warns that the current trajectory of artificial intelligence—driven by monopolistic tech firms and cloaked in hype—threatens democracy, labor rights, sustainability, and public welfare. Far from delivering shared prosperity, today’s AI systems centralize power, erode public institutions, and displace workers while offering few proven benefits. The industry’s growth is fueled by unsustainable business models, massive government subsidies, and a deregulatory push that silences public oversight, all while Big Tech monopolizes infrastructure, talent, and influence. Yet the report insists this path is not inevitable: it calls for rejecting “AI as destiny,” and instead advancing policies rooted in labor power, democratic accountability, sustainability, and public-centered innovation—building a future shaped not by oligarchs, but by and for the people.

• A global surge in venture capital funding is fueling the rise of AI-powered surveillance and algorithmic management tools—so-called “bossware”—especially in countries with weak regulatory protections, according to a new report from Coworker.org. Over 150 startups across Latin America, Africa, and Asia are deploying technologies like biometric tracking, productivity dashboards, and union-risk scoring to monitor workers in real time, often without their full knowledge or consent. These tools, promoted as efficient HR solutions, are frequently tested in regions with lax enforcement before expanding to more regulated markets. Workers report feeling stripped of autonomy, constantly monitored, and coerced into grueling schedules dictated by opaque algorithms. While tech companies benefit from the data and control, labor rights advocates warn that the unchecked spread of these tools risks entrenching digital exploitation as a default feature of modern work.

International

• A new experiment called AI Diplomacy put leading AI language models head-to-head in the classic strategy game Diplomacy, revealing how they negotiate, deceive, and form (or break) alliances under pressure. OpenAI’s o3 emerged as the most dominant model thanks to its strategic lying and manipulation, while Gemini 2.5 Pro proved sharp but ultimately vulnerable to betrayal. Anthropic’s Claude 4 Opus favored cooperation over conquest and was duped into defeat, and models like DeepSeek R1 and Llama 4 Maverick stood out for their flair and clever alliances despite smaller budgets. Created as a next-generation benchmark, AI Diplomacy illustrates the need for richer, more dynamic tests of AI behavior—offering insights into how these systems behave not just when asked for answers, but when challenged to outwit others.

FOR FUN

• 🧑‍🍳 Embassy Chef Challenge at the Andrew W Mellon Auditorium, Downtown (6/10)

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