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Obama urges Democrats to make artificial intelligence a top policy priority
The former president said in a private fundraiser that AI is moving quickly and called for rules, safeguards and a public framework led by Congress.
Barack Obama urged Democrats, including potential 2028 presidential contenders and congressional leaders, to put far greater emphasis on a broad artificial intelligence agenda. POLITICO reported that he made the case during a closed-door fundraiser alongside House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries at the New-York Historical Society in Manhattan.
According to excerpts from his remarks released by his office and cited by the outlet, Obama warned that AI has reached an inflection point and argued that a technology developing rapidly in private hands could become dangerous without public oversight. He also said it could be beneficial if properly managed.
The former president said AI would be one of the central pillars of his agenda if he were running for the White House. He pointed to safety, the effect on children and the economic fallout as major concerns, especially possible job displacement and the consequences for the social safety net.
Obama also called on Congress to act, telling Jeffries that Democrats should assemble a framework for a public conversation focused on the biggest AI-related issues.
POLITICO framed the comments as a broader shift from Obama’s years as a tech-friendly Democrat. The outlet also noted that concern over the pace of AI development has intensified in recent days, including warnings from executives at leading AI labs and from political figures.
In that context, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on NBC that Democrats need to confront the issue directly and argued for safeguards, rules, limits and even a kill switch for rogue AI. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro wrote on X that the federal government should treat the matter with greater urgency and establish guardrails both domestically and internationally.
According to POLITICO, those calls remain less aggressive than proposals backed by Bernie Sanders and Greg Casar, who have pushed to pause advanced AI development and permanently ban what they describe as artificial superintelligence.
At the same time, Donald Trump dismissed fears that AI poses an existential threat and said last week that his main concern is ensuring the United States beats China in the race to dominate the technology.
Congress has attempted to move legislation to slow or limit AI development, but without success so far. Among the efforts, POLITICO highlighted a Senate proposal led by Amy Klobuchar and John Thune that faces disagreements over legal liability for Silicon Valley companies and over whether federal law should override state-level AI rules.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also said he would support discussions with tech leaders, while insisting that developers, rather than Congress, bear the primary responsibility for making sure their products are safe.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
