Kathrine Frich
President Trump continues to brush off those concerns entirely.
When technology moves faster than the law, politicians usually scramble to catch up.
A heavyweight political voice is now telling his party to grab the wheel before it is too late.
A private warning
Former President Barack Obama issued a stark warning during a recent gathering in Manhattan. He urged Democratic leaders to put artificial intelligence at the heart of their future legislative plans.
The exclusive event took place Thursday, per The New York Times. Obama cautioned that the booming technology requires serious oversight.
“This is something that is moving very fast in private hands, and if we don’t get on top of it, I think can be dangerous,” Obama said. He added that proper management would be “beneficial” for curing diseases and clean energy.
Charting a clear path
He wants House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries to build a framework for a “public conversation” on AI policy. The focus stretches far beyond the upcoming midterms.
Looking ahead, Obama advised 2028 presidential hopefuls to make the technology one of their “central agendas.” To win over voters, they must “have a very clear plan” to handle the serious economic and safety risks involved.
He clarified that he is neither an “accelerationist” nor a “doomer” regarding the tech.
Industry sounding the alarm
This push arrives after a highly disturbing summer for the tech industry. Former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon recently warned that the technology “could kill us all” by the end of the decade.
“Neither company is acting responsibly,” Coxon wrote on social media. He pointed directly at Anthropic and OpenAI, adding, “They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives.”
Jeffries seems to hear the warnings. Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” he said he supports acting “urgently” to regulate the industry. Guardrails, he argued, would “protect the health, the safety, the well-being of the American people.”
The political divide
Meanwhile, President Trump continues to brush off those concerns entirely. His primary focus remains on beating China in global markets.
“We’re the most sophisticated country in the world and frankly, I want to keep it that way,” the president said Sunday.
He views the growing alarm as a massive overreaction. “We can put guardrails, and we can do this and that, but I think you have a lot of negative forces that are bringing it up, and they’re bringing up things that won’t happen,” Trump added.
Sources: The New York Times, The Hill, ABC, social media
