Former U.S. President Barack Obama said Democrats should make artificial intelligence one of their "core issues," and develop a "very clear plan" to address concerns over the technology's impact on the economy and safety, according to The New York Times.
اضافة اعلان
Obama's comments came Thursday during a Democratic Party fundraising event, in a conversation with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
According to the newspaper, Obama's office provided a partial transcript of the conversation, in which Jeffries asked the former president how congressional Democrats should approach AI.
Obama responded that once Democrats regain a House majority, they need to "set up a framework for a very broad public conversation" about the technology.
Obama said: "This is moving very fast in the hands of the private sector, and if we can't get a handle on it, I think it could be dangerous."
He added that handling it correctly could bring major benefits, saying he believes AI will, for example, accelerate drug development in ways that could help treat diseases.
Jeffries Backs Action on AI
In a statement, Jeffries said the former president "is right that decisive action on AI has become necessary." He also accused Republicans of "abandoning their responsibility to govern on behalf of the American people."
The New York Times also reported that Obama offered to serve as a "sounding board" for AI company executives. Obama has already spoken with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, as well as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Growing Concerns Over AI Safety
Obama's remarks come amid rising concerns over AI safety, particularly following the resignation of an Anthropic AI researcher, who warned that leading companies in the sector are racing to develop "superintelligence capable of improving itself," arguing they were thereby "gambling with our lives."
On Saturday, Dario Amodei laid out a broad approach to what he described as "pacing" the development of advanced technologies, including giving independent safety evaluators access to leading AI companies and models.
He also called for developing "shared safety standards" across companies.
Sam Altman and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk both appeared to respond positively to Amodei's proposal via social media posts.
Altman said OpenAI would also commit to allowing independent evaluators a level of access similar to that of company employees.
Trump: Whoever Wins AI, Wins
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump discussed AI safety concerns with reporters during a golf event in Ireland on Sunday.
According to Bloomberg, Trump said the United States is "the most advanced country in the world," adding that he wants to maintain that position because "whoever wins AI wins."
The Trump administration had earlier this year proposed an AI legislative framework that would preempt certain state laws and shift some responsibility for protecting children onto parents.
On setting guardrails for the technology, Trump said: "We can put up guardrails and controls, we can do this and that."
But he added that he believes there are "a lot of negative forces" stirring up these concerns when, in his words, they shouldn't be.
Resource: Al-Ghad.
