How do the 2028 Democrats stack up on AI?
Top Democratic strategists huddled in Washington, D.C. over the weekend to try to chart a path forward on one of the hottest political topics in the country: artificial intelligence.
TL;DR
- Democratic strategists met to establish a path forward on artificial intelligence, shifting focus from affordability to safety concerns.
- Potential 2028 Democratic presidential hopefuls are taking varied stances on AI, with some advocating for strict regulations and others focusing on specific impacts.
- Ro Khanna supports banning superintelligence models, Ro Khanna has called for an AI-specific regulatory agency and backdoor entry points for AI models.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is concerned about the workforce impact, data center costs, and lobbying, and has introduced legislation to ban new data center construction.
- Josh Shapiro has shifted from being an AI advocate to a tough regulator, implementing restrictions on new AI projects in Pennsylvania.
- Gavin Newsom partnered with Anthropic but has also signed legislation restricting AI access for children and penalizing companies producing explicit material.
- Jon Ossoff has criticized the lack of AI regulation and is investigating AI's impact on children.
- JB Pritzker has incentivized data center construction but also implemented laws requiring safety audits and threat assessments for AI companies.
- Kamala Harris previously championed privacy concerns as Vice President.
- Pete Buttigieg called for federal regulations and criticized the idea of AI companies solely handling safety concerns.
- Rahm Emanuel favors increased federal oversight and regulation over outright bans, proposing a bipartisan task force.