OpenAI policy chief calls 2028 election a key moment for AI rules

In short: OpenAI’s top policy executive is urging US politicians to start setting AI rules now, framing the 2028 election as a turning point.

What's going on

OpenAI’s chief global affairs officer, Chris Lehane, published an essay arguing that artificial intelligence, meaning software that can write, talk, and make predictions, could define the 2028 presidential election. He says politicians should address public worries about AI, instead of only repeating broad promises.

Lehane compares today’s moment to the New Deal, the set of government programs created in the 1930s after major economic upheaval. He argues people feel anxious about losing control of their economic future, and he proposes a “third path” where more Americans share in AI’s benefits. His priorities include worker protections, education and training, AI safety standards, and building more data centers, meaning large buildings filled with computers that power online services.

Critics question whose interests the plan serves. Kate Brennan of the AI Now Institute told TechCrunch that Lehane’s message sounds different from OpenAI’s earlier approach, which pushed faster AI growth and fewer regulatory barriers. She argues Lehane offers few firm requirements that would force companies to share gains with workers, and she calls the New Deal comparison misleading since it comes from a private company.

The essay also leans into a debate already showing up in elections, data centers. Lehane notes concerns like electricity costs, but emphasizes jobs and local tax revenue, and he warns against moratoriums, meaning pauses on new construction.

What to watch

AI is likely to become a bigger election issue as voters worry about jobs, power bills, and whether the financial upside goes mainly to large tech firms. Watch for whether lawmakers pursue binding rules, not just incentives, and whether OpenAI backs safety and oversight measures it previously opposed.

Source: TechCrunch AI