Experience in government, Democratic politics aids advocacy in a changing world

How policymakers handle pressing issues such as artificial intelligence, cyberattacks and deep fakes is a critical part of Linda Moore's work as CEO of TechNet. The technology industry association's membership includes such household names as Apple, Meta (parent of Facebook), Google and Microsoft.

But Moore is proud that all her members have "the same vote" at TechNet. "We're very much a democracy here at TechNet," she said in an interview with CEO Update, "whether you're a very small, startup member or the largest company on the planet."

Moore gravitated to Democratic politics and government service after graduating from the University of Texas in her native state. She has worked on five presidential campaigns and held posts at the White House and on Capitol Hill. Moore also was a fellow at Harvard University's prestigious Institute of Politics, leading a seminar on the decline of centrists and increasing political polarization.

"I'm a very cause-oriented person," Moore said. That led her to TechNet after more than 17 years in government. President and CEO of the association since 2014, she finds herself deeply involved as government becomes increasingly interested in AI, among other technology issues. "We are quite busy here at TechNet," she said.

Following are excerpts from the interview edited for length and clarity:

CEO Update: How has your background prepared you for being CEO of a trade association involved in high-profile issues in a rapidly changing technological environment?

Linda Moore: My experience in government and political campaigns has been essential. … Fast-paced, high-profile, high risk. Great potential for upside and downside. Very much the need to get it right.

At TechNet, our board consists of high-profile, well-established tech leaders and the kind of experience that you have working for a president (or) senator, and the care that you take with their reputation, (is helpful). If you're running an association the right way, you're running a perpetual campaign for your industry ... So, I felt that my campaign experience, in particular, really lent itself to that.

I'm not an engineer. I don't write code. I'm not creating software or building hardware. My role really is to be a terrific representative for the industry.

CU: This is a particularly unsettled era for the tech industry. What challenges lie ahead?

LM: In the last few months, we've gotten a new wave that is very much intriguing policymakers. And that's AI. There's a ton of focus by state and federal policymakers on learning as quickly as they can about AI and figuring out how best to regulate it.

CU: Are AI guardrails needed, and if so, what would TechNet and the industry support?

LM: I think that guardrails are important and needed. We've seen two of our largest companies here in the U.S., Microsoft and Google, put out their own framework for how they think AI should be approached. There is a lot of collaboration right now between tech companies, associations, the White House, agencies, and House and Senate. Right now, everyone's in fact-finding and understanding mode.

CU: In a CEO Update report on association use of AI, experts said that a ChatGPT-based tool said a former CEO participated in a webinar after he died. How do associations and society handle these ChatGPT hallucinations and misfires?

LM: Well, I think you have to use ChatGPT wisely. Everyone's been really clear about the fact it doesn't have the same kind of scrutiny and veracity and carefulness a human operator would have. It's a tool, but it's not everything.

We also can look at really positive applications of AI. AI is able to focus on medical treatments and cures so much faster than we're able to do on our own. So, we have to definitely take advantage of the upsides, and do all we can to minimize the downsides.

Products will be developed that provide consumers and businesses with transparency and security opportunities … so people can really understand am I hearing, seeing a deep fake?

During a recent Senate hearing on AI, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) spoke … then used a deep fake impersonation of his voice. Pindrop's detect engine was able to accurately detect in real-time which voice was real.

What is the most pressing regulatory concern about deep fakes?

LM: What is being talked about now, understandably so, is the use of deep fakes in the upcoming election in 2024. I think that is going to be the biggest and most cogent focus of policymaking to put guardrails around, and ways to detect and thwart the use of deep fakes and anything related to politics and the campaign.

And I think we will see some advancements in policy probably later this year and also some executive orders. There's already been some action by the White House. I think that still has a little way to go.

CU: You had the Defense Department CIO at this spring's TechNet Cyber conference. How important are cyber and tech issues, as well as recruitment and training, to America's defense?

LM: Beyond critically important. Part of what we talk about is the skills gap the private sector sees, but I also know that the government has a skills gap, too, especially when it comes to cybersecurity.

Every company now needs technology people as tech underpins every single sector of the economy. There are 750,000 cybersecurity jobs open today—and that doesn't even get into all the other areas of specialty.

CU: What are you doing to encourage bridging the skills gap?

LM: Only about half of U.S. schools offer computer science and STEM education classes at the level that they should. So, a lot of kids don't even have access to the kind of classes they'd like to take.

Training adults is hugely important, too. We're always fighting for additional funding and resources and collaborations with universities and adult workforce training programs.

A broken immigration system is making it so we don't have the right kind of skilled folks we need in the country to really advance our competitiveness. China, for example, graduates Ph.D.'s at about quadruple the rate we do. A recent study shows Chinese researchers have outpaced American researchers in 37 of 44 critical and emerging technologies.

People from all over the world come here to get the best education. And then we send them back home to compete against us. Our immigration system should help us attract and retain the best global talent.

CU: Why did you send a letter this year to a congressional subcommittee asking to enact a comprehensive federal privacy law? You described state efforts as a "confusing 50-state privacy patchwork."

LM: Our state team has been working on these privacy bills all across the country for several years now. And there have been well over 100—and often conflicting—privacy bills put forward in, I think we're up to 46 states now.

We want federal policymakers to keep in mind, it's a real drag on the economy. Small businesses, in particular, can't keep up with an ever-changing privacy landscape with compliance and the legal bills (and may just) fold up shop. I think that's the last thing we want.

CU: So, what would you like to see in a federal privacy law?

LM: Every consumer should have the ability to access and correct and delete their data. And all businesses should have a very clear understanding of what their responsibilities are.

We built the United for Privacy campaign so we could bring in other industries that want a privacy law. A lot of policymakers, a lot of consumers, think a privacy law would only really apply to tech companies.

Your grocery store handles your data … Your dry cleaner, your gym, your car dealer.

So many different people you interact with every single day that you would never think of as a tech company, who have a real stake in having good privacy laws.

CU: Do you feel a bipartisan federal privacy bill out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee would accomplish that?

LM: It goes a long way toward it. It is welcome progress. And we're going to continue to work with them on getting the very best privacy bill possible this year.

The most important thing is the preemption of state laws. If the federal privacy law doesn't preempt state laws, they're just adding to the problem. It will just be the 51st privacy standard, not the one national standard that we need.

CU: Is there a need to recruit more women
in tech?

LM: Diversity and inclusion, in general, is really important to our industry. Computer science and access to education for girls is a good place to start. You've probably seen an uptick in women in tech in the last several years or more. It's a very positive thing. We are very engaged in diversity and inclusion issues across the country.

At the federal level, bills have come forward from champions of more women in tech. They aim at attracting and retaining the interests of young women and girls from K-12 and into college. In addition to women, some bills deal with specialized attention, funding and collaboration with historically Black colleges and Hispanic-serving institutions. We are huge supporters and big backers of all of those bills.

CU: What's the experience like, positive and negative, heading a tech organization as a woman?

LM: I do still marvel at the fact, when I find myself the only woman on a panel or in a room. It doesn't happen that often anymore, but it does still happen and I definitely take note of it … But I have to say in the tech industry we're talking about, it's been nothing but positive.

All of the people I get to work with in our member companies, at the government relations level, the leadership level, all the colleagues who run associations, everyone has been incredibly welcoming and embracing.

When I got this job, I worked with (executive recruiter Leslie Hortum of Spencer Stuart) to establish a female association heads group (called AWE for Association Women Executives) so we can all get together and talk about our challenges, opportunities and best practices.

Then we branched it out beyond tech and into completely different kinds of fields. It's a wonderfully supportive group. Women you really respect and admire who are running other associations will give you great feedback and advice.

And I really value that a lot.

UP CLOSE WITH LINDA MOORE

Low-tech degree: Moore was an English major in college and values "the art of communication." It's important to her that potential employees undergo a rigorous writing and editing screening. "We have to convey our point of view to really important policymakers," she says.

Questioning job choice: When she was interviewing for her CEO position, "My sister said, ‘What do you know about technology?'" Moore replied that the job was actually about government advocacy, which she knows well.

Giving them a Lyft: "Early in my days here at TechNet, Uber and Lyft was a new concept. They were among our smallest members," recalled Moore. TechNet did "a ton of work for them" and they became some "of our biggest and most successful companies."

Growth spurt: Moore presided over what TechNet describes as "unprecedented growth" over the past three years, increasing membership 52%.

Association Snapshot

TechNet

Members: Nearly 100 major technology companies ranging from Amazon and Apple to Cisco, eBay, Google, Meta and Microsoft.

Headquarters: TechNet leases space at 1420 New York Ave. NW, in Washington, D.C., near the White House, and has offices throughout the country, including in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver and Sacramento.

Staff: 23

From IRS 990 ending December 31, 2021
Revenue: $6.4 million
Net assets: $1.8 million
Salaries: $4.1 million