# It’s not ‘regulatory capture’ by the AI giants, but it’s still regulatory robbery

> Source: <https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/4736459/ai-giants-regulatory-robbery/>
> Published: 2026-09-21 19:50:22+00:00

“Regulatory capture” is a counterintuitive concept to some, but it makes perfect sense to those who have watched [Washington](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/washington-dc/) work.

The idea here is that government regulators end up being a boon to the big businesses they are regulating, at the expense of competitors, customers, workers, and taxpayers. The reason: Nobody cares more about the actions of the regulators than do the regulated, and so over time, the regulated companies will take over the agency.

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