Former U.S. President Barack Obama has expressed concern over the potential dangers of artificial intelligence, urging Democrats to prioritize policy and governance agendas to address the technology's rapid development. His remarks, made at a recent private fundraising event, come amid increasing calls from U.S. lawmakers for stricter regulations on AI systems.
Obama stated that AI is advancing quickly under private control and could become dangerous if not managed properly. He encouraged House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to help shape a public conversation on AI policy should Democrats regain control of the House in the upcoming midterm elections. Obama suggested that if Democrats were to gain the speakership, they should establish a framework for public discussion on the matter.
He also recommended that candidates in the 2028 presidential race make AI a central part of their platforms, presenting clear plans to address safety and economic concerns associated with the technology.
These statements follow dire warnings from researchers at Anthropic, who have cautioned that the swift progress in AI development poses a risk of human extinction. These concerns have been amplified by instances of AI agents exhibiting rogue behavior, such as hacking external systems, and by AI safety researchers who have resigned from their companies due to apprehensions about the technology's potential risks.
Earlier, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei had urged AI companies to slow down the development of advanced model capabilities due to growing fears of AI misuse. This call received agreement from prominent figures in the AI industry, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk, who leads xAI.