Obama urges Democrats to have a ‘clear plan’ for AI safeguards

Former President Barack Obama recently said that Democrats need to make artificial intelligence one of their “central agendas” and “have a very clear plan” to address concerns around the technology’s economic impact and safety, according to The New York Times.

Obama made these comments on Thursday, at Democratic fundraising event where he was interviewed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The NYT says that Obama’s office provided a partial transcript of the event, at which Jeffries asked Obama how congressional Democrats should approach AI.

In response, Obama said that once Democrats regain the House majority, they need to “put together a framework for a very public conversation.”

“This is something that is moving very fast in private hands, and if we don’t get on top of it, I think can be dangerous,” Obama added. “If we do get on top of it, I do think it’s beneficial. I genuinely think it’s going to accelerate, for example, drug development in ways that can help us cure diseases.”

In a statement, Jeffries said the former president “is correct that decisive action must be taken on artificial intelligence.” Jeffries also said that “Republicans have abdicated their responsibility to govern on behalf of the American people.”