" but my business leaders are also saying they can't reduce head count yet."  A tacit admission of one the major drivers, if not the major driver for huge investment in AI.

Such measures usually start with a sympathetic cause.  We the Informed, do not want the impressionable populace to be exposed to baseless Nazi propaganda.  So we implement a policy to censor(baseless nazi propaganda).  Once such systems are in place it becomes much easier to censor(people who oppose my agenda).

Once you start down the path to the Cloud, forever will your adversary have your data Pawn you they will.