Christian is based in our Washington, DC office and is a Senior Vice President of ML Strategies. He assists a variety of clients in their interactions with the federal government.
Prior to joining ML Strategies, Christian spent 20 years on Capitol Hill, the last 10 of which he served as Senior Counsel and Subcommittee Staff Director on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. In so doing, he served under the current Chair, Senator Maria Cantwell (D – WA), as well as former Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) and former Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL). In this capacity, his work focused on a broad range of issues, including consumer protection, privacy and data security, cybersecurity, automobile and highway safety, product safety, sports, manufacturing, exports, and trade, while regularly interacting with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and the Department of Commerce.
Earlier, Christian held senior staff and advisory roles with the House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy & Commerce, where he worked on matters related to the FTC, NHTSA, CPSC, Department of Commerce, and the EPA.
Christian also previously served as a Senior Legislative Assistant to former Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) and to former US Representative Bill Luther (D-MN), advising each on Energy & Commerce Committee issues.
viewpoints
Federal Trade Commission Supercharges AI Regulatory Powers — AI: The Washington Report
November 30, 2023 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about the FTC’s preauthorization of a compulsory process in investigations relating to AI and a new AI bill supported by a bipartisan group of Commerce Committee senators in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
Federal Trade Commission Announces Voice Cloning Challenge — AI: The Washington Report
November 21, 2023 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about the FTC’s Voice Cloning Challenge to encourage the creation of policies, practices, and technologies to prevent or detect the abuse of AI voice cloning tools in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
FTC Advises Copyright Office on AI — AI: The Washington Report
November 16, 2023 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about the Copyright Office’s request for comments on issues regarding AI and copyright and the FTC’s submission in response in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
OMB Releases Draft Guidance to Agencies on Implementing Biden’s AI Executive Order — AI: The Washington Report
November 9, 2023 | Advisory | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about the OMB’s draft memorandum providing guidance to agencies on how to implement President Biden’s executive order on AI, the UK’s AI Safety Summit, and the Bletchley Declaration that emerged from the summit in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
Biden’s Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence — AI: The Washington Report
October 31, 2023 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
President Biden issued his long-expected executive order on AI addressing workforce training and modernization, privacy, equity and civil rights, safety and security, competition and consumer protection, R&D investments, and government use of AI. Mintz Antitrust Practice Co-chair Bruce Sokler, with ML Strategies’ EVP and Director of Operations Alex Hecht and SVP Christian Fjeld, cover this development in their latest weekly update on AI-related activity in Washington, DC.
AI and Chips: Biden Admin Announces New Export Controls on AI Chips — AI: The Washington Report
October 27, 2023 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about Biden’s recently announced restrictions on the export of AI chips and chip manufacturing equipment to China in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
Foreshadowing Biden’s AI Executive Order? — AI: The Washington Report
October 20, 2023 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read emerging insights on an AI-focused executive order expected from the Biden administration sometime this fall in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
Financial Protection and Autonomous Systems: Recent CFPB Actions Focused on AI — AI: The Washington Report
October 12, 2023 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about recent CFPB actions focused on AI in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
FTC Chair Lina Khan: No AI Exemptions — AI: The Washington Report
October 6, 2023 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about the FTC’s recent “Creative Economy and Generative AI” roundtable discussion, which featured professionals from a variety of creative fields, in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
Continue to Watch Out for the FTC — AI: The Washington Report
September 29, 2023 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about FTC indications of its intent to regulate AI and a recently introduced bill that would boost the agency’s authority and resources to regulate the use of this technology in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.