Prominent Democrats Urge Slower AI Development and Tougher Rules as Trump Pushes Race With China
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 16
Prominent Democrats Urge Slower AI Development and Tougher Rules as Trump Pushes Race With China
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 16
Summary
Barack Obama joined Kamala Harris and other prominent Democrats in calling for a slower pace of frontier AI development, saying Washington must impose concrete rules rather than leave safety choices to tech companies.
Obama said AI is moving "at lightning speed" and warned that catastrophe will depend on decisions made now, broadening earlier Democratic rhetoric that had emphasized both innovation and risk.
The shift sharpens a split with Donald Trump, whose administration is prioritizing rapid AI expansion and data-center construction while arguing the U.S. cannot afford to lose ground to China.
AI and the infrastructure behind it have become a midterm issue as candidates face rising scrutiny over electricity costs, jobs and the local impact of fast-growing data centers.
Republicans are casting the Democratic turn as political, with Attorney General Todd Blanche saying the party's renewed focus on AI dangers is surfacing just months before the elections.