US Democrats Push for AI Regulation: Obama and Harris Call for Government Action

Former U.S. President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris have joined calls for artificial intelligence (AI) regulation.

Local time on the 14th, U.S. broadcaster CNN reported that former President Obama stated in a statement, "Governments and politicians must respond to serious safety issues related to AI and anticipate the impact it will have on jobs and children."

Obama went on to urge, "Concrete response measures, laws, and regulations must be proactively established so that the benefits of AI can be widely shared."

Previously, at a private fundraising event he recently attended alongside House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, he pointed out to politicians expected to run in the 2028 presidential election that they must make the AI issue a core agenda item.

Former Vice President Harris, who is rumored as a potential contender for a re-run in the 2028 presidential election, has raised the argument for slowing down AI.

On X (formerly Twitter), former Vice President Harris argued, "Cutting-edge AI technology is advancing at a worryingly rapid pace," adding, "We need to slow down the development pace of cutting-edge AI."

This is intended to secure time for regulations and safety measures to catch up with the advancement of AI technology.

Former Vice President Harris also urged Congress to establish a federal-level AI oversight body.

In particular, she demanded that President Donald Trump push for an international treaty to address AI issues.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is also mentioned as a 2028 presidential candidate pool, emphasized that the government must directly confront the threats of AI.

Appearing the previous day on NBC News' public affairs program "Meet the Press," former Secretary Buttigieg said, "AI is advancing rapidly, and for Congress to sit on its hands and the White House to take no substantive action is very dangerous for the American people and the world."

This assessment notes that such arguments from former President Obama and Democratic potential presidential hopefuls stand in stark contrast to President Donald Trump, who opposes strengthening regulations on the AI industry.

President Trump recently dismissed the argument for slowing down raised within the AI industry as a conspiracy theory.

That day, he posted consecutive messages on the social media platform Truth Social conveying his intent not to halt America's AI development pace and to win the competition against China.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.