Q&A With FPF Vice President for U.S. Policy, Matthew Reisman
In a new Q&A, our new Vice President for U.S. Policy, Matthew Reisman, takes a deeper look at the privacy landscape, particularly his interests in the space, what to look forward to in the U.S. and AI sector, and what is key for stakeholders to pay attention to.
What brought you into the privacy and data policy space? What drew you into working in this field/subject matter in particular?
I was drawn to working in public policy generally because I hoped to have opportunities to improve people’s lives and the communities and societies we live in–and it’s hard to think of a space where that’s more true than data and technology. In the early years of my career, I was struck by the breathtaking pace of change in technology and the ways it was transforming our lives–and yet so many of the principles to guide its development and use remained nascent. I think that remains true today. All of us who care about building responsible public policy and governance for technology have the opportunity to create the path forward together, and I find that terrifically exciting.
You have an extensive background in the data privacy landscape across a range of issues that continue to evolve. What particular sector is one to watch in the U.S.?
As a community, we have been wrestling with how to approach privacy in the context of AI systems: the challenge is to ensure that these tools benefit as broad a spectrum of people, organizations, and society as possible while protecting the rights, freedom, and dignity of individuals. Even as we continue to work through foundational concepts for privacy in the age of AI, it is important that we anticipate the new challenges we will face as the technology continues to evolve.
To that end, it feels like we are on the cusp of major steps forward for spatial artificial intelligence – where AI systems are enabling richer interactions with the physical world. There are so many potentially beneficial applications for spatial intelligence, from autonomous vehicles, to logistics, to healthcare, just to name a few.
What else are you thinking about in the AI sector? What is the most timely issue that lawmakers, practitioners, or policymakers should consider the most in relation to AI?
AI agents have been on many folks’ minds over the past year, and I think rightly so. 2026 feels like a breakout moment for agents for both enterprise and consumer applications. I was recently experimenting with coding agents for some personal projects and experienced “wow” moments similar to those I felt when first trying text-generation LLM tools several years ago. Agents offer exciting potential benefits for individuals, organizations, and society–and to realize them, we will need to work together on principles and standards for responsible development and deployment.
You have worked within the business, government, and nonprofit sectors. Given the breadth of diverse experience that you are now bringing to FPF, what continues to surprise you about the U.S. data privacy landscape across the board?
It has been fascinating to me to see how privacy and adjacent policy issues have become prominent in everyday discourse in nearly every sector of the economy and society, and nearly every facet of our lives, from the workplace to the family dinner table. I think the factor driving this is the central role of data in virtually every system we interact with–at home, at school, and in our interactions with businesses and government agencies. It’s hard to imagine a time soon when these issues will lessen in importance, so I anticipate we’ll be talking about them with co-workers, teachers, and family and friends alike for the foreseeable future.
What do you find unique about FPF and its approach to bringing together academics, business, and thought leaders in facilitating discussion in privacy matters in the U.S. and abroad?
FPF fulfills a unique and critical role by bringing together the full range of stakeholders who are striving to ensure that technology and data are used in ways that are responsible and beneficial for individuals, organizations, and society. It is a place that embodies both timeless values and intellectual rigor: when you meet FPF’ers, you quickly realize that they carry an infectious passion for the subject matter, a commitment to excellence in analysis and research, a gift for facilitation of meaningful and productive conversations, and a deeply held belief in the potential for their work to make a difference. I admired and was inspired by FPF’s work as an external stakeholder, and now that I’m here, I only feel those sentiments more strongly. It’s a special place.
