Who Is Mike Hilgers? Nebraska Attorney General

Mike Hilgers is the Nebraska Attorney General.

At Ban the Bots, we track the people and organizations fighting AI: the activists, union leaders, lawmakers, plaintiffs, researchers and founders pushing back on how AI is built and used.

Hilgers previously served as speaker of the Nebraska Legislature and ran the law firm Hilgers Graben before his election as attorney general, later taking legal action involving generative artificial intelligence.

Where Mike Hilgers Is Now

Mike Hilgers holds statewide legal office in Nebraska and has recently joined legal actions regarding artificial intelligence companies.

• Current role: Nebraska Attorney General
• Organization: State of Nebraska
• Known for: Serving as Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature and serving as Nebraska Attorney General
• Recent news: Announcing planned litigation against generative artificial intelligence company OpenAI alongside other state attorneys general

Education and Legal Career

Hilgers graduated from Omaha Creighton Preparatory School in 1997 and earned an economics degree from Baylor University in 2001, according to Wikipedia. He later graduated from the University of Chicago Law School, where he served as an editor on the Law Review.

In his legal career, Hilgers served as a judicial clerk for Judge Edith Brown Clement of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, as noted on Wikipedia. He also worked at the intellectual property law firm Fish & Richardson P.C. and founded the law firm Hilgers Graben.

Legislative and Political Career

Hilgers ran for the Nebraska State Legislature in District 21 in 2012 and ran for election to be Nebraska's Attorney General in 2014, as recorded on Wikipedia. He served as a Republican member of the Nebraska Legislature representing the 21st district from 2017 to 2023.

During his legislative tenure, Hilgers was elected Chairman of the Rules Committee for the 105th Legislature and Chairman of the executive board of the Legislative Council for the 106th Legislature, according to Wikipedia. He was elected Speaker for the 107th Legislature by acclamation, serving as speaker from 2021 to 2023 and becoming the first Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature from Lincoln since 1977–78. In 2022, he was elected Nebraska Attorney General with 434,671 votes.

• In 2017, Hilgers introduced LB271 to reduce regulatory burdens on certain larger highway construction projects.
• In 2018, Hilgers prioritized LB1119 to expand direct primary care in Nebraska.
• In 2019, Hilgers introduced and prioritized LB616 to accelerate construction of the South Beltway.
• In 2021, Hilgers prioritized LB388 to expand high-speed broadband in Nebraska.

Actions and Statements on Artificial Intelligence

Hilgers joined attorneys general Kris Kobach of Kansas, JB McCuskey of West Virginia, and Tim Griffin of Arkansas alongside Bird at the Iowa Capitol to announce planned litigation against the generative artificial intelligence company OpenAI, as reported by The Gazette and the Register-Herald.

Regarding the litigation, Hilgers asserted that a lawsuit holds OpenAI to the same standards under Nebraska law as any other company, according to KLKN-TV. Hilgers stated that a national conversation is occurring regarding how to approach artificial intelligence, and he also stated that the United States must win the race for artificial intelligence.

Water Rights and Infrastructure

Hilgers expressed confidence in Nebraska's legal team and theories regarding the South Platte River litigation in the Supreme Court, as reported by KNOP News 2. He also described Nebraska's proposed Perkins County Canal project as a multiyear effort.

Sources

• en.wikipedia.org
• klkntv.com
• klkntv.com
• knopnews2.com
• register-herald.com
• thegazette.com

More people pushing back on AI are mapped in our guide to who is fighting AI, and the unions, companies and governments drawing the line are tracked on Fighting Back.