Who Is Raúl Labrador? Idaho Attorney General Profile
Idaho Attorney General taking legal action on artificial intelligence
Raúl Labrador serves as the Idaho 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.
Labrador previously worked as an immigration lawyer, a state legislator, and a congressman before being elected as Idaho Attorney General in 2022.
Where Raúl Labrador Is Now
Raúl Labrador currently serves as the Idaho Attorney General, overseeing an office that he stated includes 120 lawyers and 100 staff members, as reported by the Post Register.
- Current role: Idaho Attorney General
- Organization: Office of the Idaho Attorney General
- Known for: Serving as an immigration lawyer, state legislator, congressman, and Idaho Attorney General
- Recent news: Joined seven other states in filing a lawsuit against OpenAI over alleged chatbot ChatGPT harm
Career Background
Labrador was elected to his first term as Idaho Attorney General in 2022, reported the Post Register, and took office in 2023, as reported by the Idaho Statesman.
Tenure as Attorney General
Shortly after taking office in 2023, Labrador instructed staff who had served under his predecessor to submit letters of continuing interest, reported the Idaho Statesman. During his first six months as Attorney General, 33 staff members, including 26 attorneys, resigned from the office.
Labrador stated in 2023 that Idahoans felt the Attorney General's Office had previously taken the side of bureaucrats instead of the public, according to the Idaho Statesman.
According to Local News 8, Labrador stated that reducing the review time for cyber tips enabled his office to quadruple prosecutions and convictions. He also stated that the attorney general role itself is not political, but rather the election process is.
The Post Register reported that Labrador stated the state of Idaho received more than $300 million in settlements over a four-year period.
Lawsuit Against OpenAI
Labrador joined seven other states in announcing separate lawsuits against OpenAI, alleging harm caused by the company's chatbot ChatGPT, according to the Idaho Capital Sun.
Labrador filed the lawsuit against OpenAI alongside deputy attorneys general Matthew Maurer and Stephanie Guyon and private attorneys from Kibler Fowler & Cave LLP, as reported by the Idaho Capital Sun.
Positions and Views
Labrador described himself as a strong conservative on all issues, reported the Post Register.
At a Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Labrador spoke regarding nuclear waste, child sex crimes, and artificial intelligence, as detailed by the Post Register. At the event, he expressed caution regarding regulation while voicing support for some guardrails on artificial intelligence, stating that his office will implement whatever artificial intelligence guardrails the Idaho Legislature directs.
Sources
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.
Frequently asked questions
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