Obama privately sounds alarm on ‘dangerous’ AI, urges Democrats to put issue at center of agenda
Former President Obama Urges Democrats to Make AI a Top Priority Ahead of 2026 Midterms and 2028 Election
WASHINGTON—In a private fundraiser held Thursday night in New York City, former President Barack Obama urged Democratic leaders to place artificial intelligence (AI) at the center of the party’s platform for the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential race. Speaking alongside House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the former president warned that the technology’s rapid growth—largely driven by private companies—could outpace regulatory oversight and pose serious risks to jobs, privacy and national security.
“I’m speaking to donors and lawmakers who could influence the direction of our country,” Obama told the crowd. “This is moving very fast in private hands, and if we don’t get on top of it, I think it can be dangerous.” He added that AI could accelerate drug development and help chart pathways to a clean‑energy future, but only if the sector is properly supervised.
Obama’s remarks came after a series of polls indicating deep public unease over AI infrastructure. A July Fox News survey found that 70 % of registered voters opposed building new AI data centers in their communities, while only 30 % supported them. An earlier April poll revealed that 63 % of voters believed AI hurts privacy and 56 % felt it harms U.S. job creation, with just 21 % saying the technology helps employment.
“I don’t need to agree with Democrats on every policy to see that AI is moving incredibly fast and that policymakers need to understand both its opportunities and its risks,” said Amy Kremer, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee’s Humans First caucus, in a Fox News Digital interview. “Where I likely disagree with President Obama is on what government should do about it. The answer isn’t handing Washington bureaucrats more control, nor is it letting Big Tech write the rules that govern itself.” Kremer added that guardrails are needed to protect children, workers and national security, and that the United States must keep pace with China.
Jeffries echoed the former president’s urgency. “President Obama is correct that decisive action must be taken on artificial intelligence,” he said. “Republicans have abdicated their responsibility to govern on behalf of the American people. We will not repeat their error.” According to a New York Times report, the House Democratic caucus is already drafting an AI policy framework that is slated for release this fall after a review by Jeffries.
The debate over AI policy also sits alongside a broader discussion about data center development. While President Donald Trump has championed the expansion of data centers as a way to keep the United States competitive with China, several Republican candidates have called for limits or pauses on new projects, citing local opposition and environmental concerns.
“The only reason that communities across the U.S. should not want data centers is if they want to be backward and poor,” Trump said in a March address that also unveiled the administration’s first national AI policy framework, which calls for a consistent federal standard while addressing free speech, child safety and energy costs.
Industry leaders have also weighed in. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged a slowdown in the AI race, warning that rapid advances could outstrip humanity’s understanding. Both Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman publicly supported Amodei’s call.
In the private fundraiser, Obama specifically urged Jeffries to prepare Democrats to bring AI policy into the public conversation if the party gains control of the House. He also called on prospective 2028 presidential candidates to develop a “very clear plan” for AI, emphasizing the need to address potential job displacement and the impact on children.
The meeting, attended by a mix of donors and lawmakers, underscores how AI has moved from a niche tech topic to a central issue in the national political dialogue. With the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential race on the horizon, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are grappling with how to balance innovation, economic growth and public safety in an era where machines can write code, design drugs and even generate creative content faster than ever before.
For now, the key takeaway from Thursday’s gathering is a bipartisan recognition of AI’s potential—both its promise to transform medicine and energy and its peril to privacy, jobs and national security—and a growing urgency to build a regulatory framework that protects Americans while fostering innovation. Whether Democrats and Republicans can agree on the details remains to be seen, but the conversation has undeniably moved to the forefront of American politics.