Obama Urges Democrats to Act on AI

Barack Obama is urging Democrats to make artificial intelligence a central policy issue, warning that its rapid development in private companies could become dangerous without stronger public oversight. At a private fundraising event, he reportedly encouraged House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to promote a broad public debate and develop a Democratic framework for AI if the party regains control of the House. Obama also called on 2028 presidential candidates to present clear plans addressing AI’s economic effects, safety risks and increasingly autonomous capabilities. His comments come amid bipartisan pressure for tougher regulation, warnings from Anthropic researchers about catastrophic risks and calls from several technology leaders to slow the development of more powerful systems.