Historical context: This article concerns reporting and events in 2023. Later corrections clarify the original sourcing and product identity; they do not turn it into current news.
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s chief executive at the time, appeared at the Senate’s May 16, 2023 hearing on artificial intelligence. That appearance is documented by the committee; claims about how advisers influenced lawmakers should not be treated as independently demonstrated outcomes.
POLITICO reported on September 12, 2023 that two unnamed sources said DLA Piper had advised Altman since spring and helped prepare him for the first AI Insight Forum. The forum took place on September 13, 2023, rather than remaining an upcoming event.
In that report, DLA Piper spokesperson Geneva Youel confirmed a business relationship and strategic advice without disclosing details or fees; OpenAI declined comment.
Altman had become a prominent participant in Washington’s discussions about AI regulation. OpenAI’s conversational service was ChatGPT, not a product called “Chat”. This article describes the 2023 policy context, not current personnel or regulatory arrangements.
POLITICO also reported that OpenAI was recruiting a U.S. congressional lead. That was a contemporary hiring observation, not proof of the company’s present Washington staffing.
DLA Piper’s separate AI work included its March 2023 announcement that it would use CoCounsel, developed by Casetext with OpenAI technology. DLA Piper did not develop that assistant. Its March 6, 2023 AI and Data Analytics practice announcement named Danny Tobey as practice chair and Bennett Borden as chief data scientist.
DLA Piper also lobbied for the Future of Life Institute. The federal filing index records a 2023 second-quarter termination report, posted July 20; that does not establish the exact date or cause of the relationship’s end. The institute’s March 22, 2023 open letter called for a six-month pause in training systems more powerful than GPT-4, not a halt to all AI research.
DLA Piper’s March 2023 practice announcement identified Tony Samp as a founding director of the Senate’s AI Working Group, Paul Hemmersbaugh as a former chief counsel at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and John Gevertz as a former chief privacy officer at Visa. These are roles described in that dated announcement, not a current staff directory.
In summary, the reported advisory relationship and DLA Piper’s own dated announcements explain its involvement in the 2023 AI-policy discussion. They do not establish that the firm caused a particular legislative response or guarantee its continuing role today.
