After Elon Musk took on the role of the so-called &#34;Minister of Efficiency,&#34; his billionaire friends in Silicon Valley have also entered American politics. For example, Jared Isaacman, founder of electronic payment company Shift4, has been nominated as the head of NASA, and former PayPal COO David Sacks has become the first &#34;AI and cryptocurrency czar&#34; in the United States. Additionally, Marc Andreessen, co-founder of the top global tech investment firm a16z, is reportedly set to help the &#34;Minister of Efficiency&#34; recruit employees.For traditional American politicians, outsiders can sometimes be a real unknown; how they will influence the policy direction of Trump 2.0 remains a question mark.Unlike the wealthy power brokers of the past who operated secretly in politics and exerted influence through backdoor dealings, today's tech giants are more willing to openly discuss their policy positions and preferences. They express their political demands and expectations clearly through various social media platforms. These tech figures, deeply involved in Trump's transition team, exhibit a unique confidence from Silicon Valley, believing they can manage the country more effectively than traditional government.As a result, some believe that the United States is about to enter a fully deregulated era, spanning various fields from cryptocurrency to artificial intelligence, energy, defense industry, and health technology. Derek Robertson, a journalist for Politico, wrote in an earlier article:<blockquote>While the goals of these tech leaders may not be entirely aligned, they generally believe that their innovations can propel the United States forward into a new future. Regarding the government, they hope it will either actively support their innovative activities or refrain from intervening, allowing them enough freedom to achieve these goals.</blockquote><h2>Turning Passive into Active, Saving the American Tech Industry</h2>Take Andreessen as an example; a lengthy &#34;Manifesto of Technological Optimism&#34; he wrote earlier, spanning over 5,000 words, has made him a prominent figure in the tech policy arena.In this manifesto, he strongly supports technological development and opposes what he sees as regulators that stifle industry growth, believing these regulators are killing America's entrepreneurial spirit. He regards a series of thinkers, including free-market economist Friedrich Hayek, transhumanist theorist Ray Kurzweil, and Italian futurist Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, as heroes.Recently, Andreessen has begun to propose more specific policy views, considering Trump's second term as a direct counter to the Biden administration during a podcast with Bari Weiss.<blockquote>When we supported Trump, we did so solely based on tech policy. During the cryptocurrency wars, we were passive for four years, which was very brutal and destructive; in terms of artificial intelligence, we met with them in Washington, D.C. in May to discuss this issue, and the meeting was quite terrible; we basically decided we must support TrumpAndersen stated that the Biden administration intends to restrict small players in the development and research of artificial intelligence, which poses a significant obstacle for Andersen, as his career and wealth are based on investments in startups. Therefore, Andersen has formed an alliance with more politically active startups, contrasting with traditional big tech companies like Google and Microsoft, which typically seek political neutrality.</blockquote>Before the election, Andersen, along with a16z co-founder Marc Andreessen and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, co-authored a blog post discussing the &#34;policy opportunities&#34; for AI startups, emphasizing investment in AI resources, support for open-source development, and skepticism towards the regulation of new technologies.The three stated:<blockquote>(Technology regulations) should only be implemented when their benefits outweigh their costs. In calculating costs, policymakers should assess the potential costs that unnecessary bureaucratic burdens impose on startups.</blockquote>They lean towards reducing AI regulations justified by safety concerns to promote competition among AI startups. They said their goal is to actively &#34;liberate individuals and businesses from illegal regulations not passed by Congress and stimulate the U.S. economy.&#34;<h2>Deregulation in the Energy Sector</h2>Roberson pointed out that the deregulation agenda pushed by these tech rightists is very broad, especially in the energy sector. They believe that increasing U.S. energy production is crucial for lowering living costs and advancing AI development.Venture capitalist David Friedberg emphasized that more electricity supply can lead to more automation and AI applications, thereby improving productivity, especially in factories. Therefore, they have allied with mainstream Republicans to promote economic growth through increased energy production.As a result, they advocate for the repeal of regulatory policies seen as hindering energy production, such as the Biden administration's environmental regulations, while supporting increased fossil fuel production and the development of new energy sources like nuclear and geothermal energy.<h2>Antitrust, Immigration, and Other Issues: Silicon Valley Elites and Trump May Struggle to Reach Consensus</h2>Roberson also noted that while the tech right has grand goals, there are certain divisions and resistance within their ranks, particularly regarding antitrust issues.Vice presidential candidate Vance supports the Biden administration's Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan's antitrust actions against big tech companies, while Trump has chosen Vance's ally, Gail Slater, to oversee the Justice Department's antitrust efforts.However, Lina Khan and her views on the relationship between government and industry are not well-received in other areas of the tech industry, especially among venture capitalists, who criticize her and the Biden administration's policies for limiting economic vitality by freezing merger activities. At a tech right conference in San Francisco, the atmosphere noticeably cooled when Lina Khan's name was mentioned.There is also the issue of immigration. Leaders in the tech industry, particularly in Silicon Valley, generally support increasing immigration of high-skilled workers, as it is crucial for their business and technological development. However, this stance conflicts with the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement's advocacy, which tends to favor stricter policies towards all immigrantsRoberson believes that although tech giants may have some influence on the deregulation agenda of the Trump administration, Trump's own stance on immigration and trade policy may prevail, as he has consistently been strongly opposed to immigration and trade

The United States may usher in an era of comprehensive deregulation, spanning various fields from cryptocurrency to artificial intelligence, as well as energy, defense industry, and health technology. However, on issues such as antitrust and immigration, Trump's personal stance may prevail

- Following Elon Musk's appointment as the head of the "Efficiency Department," several Silicon Valley billionaires have entered U.S. politics, including Jared Isaacman as NASA chief and David Sacks as the first "AI and cryptocurrency czar."  
- These tech leaders advocate for deregulation across various sectors, believing their innovations can drive the U.S. forward, while expressing concerns over the Biden administration's regulatory stance on AI and energy.  
- However, internal divisions exist, particularly regarding antitrust issues and immigration policies, which may complicate their alignment with Trump's agenda.

"Silicon Valley elites + billionaires" gather in Washington! How will they "influence" Trump 2.0?