Not to the same extent, I don't think so.

I would have to disagree. For one thing, if a corporation like Microsoft (or perhaps Google) develops AI, it seems pretty likely that it will be done in secret, if only to prevent competitors from gaining an advantage. Even if the existence of the project is known, the actual details will probably be secret. For another, it seems like it would be difficult for the public to provide meaningful feedback in such a situation.