Warnings that AI could escape human control and cause harm have given new momentum to calls for slowing its development. Former US President Barack Obama has urged the Democratic Party to establish a framework for discussing how to respond to AI. [AP]
Warnings that AI could escape human control and cause harm have given new momentum to calls for slowing its development. Former US President Barack Obama has urged the Democratic Party to establish a framework for discussing how to respond to AI. [AP]

As warnings grow that AI could escape human control and cause serious harm — fueling calls to slow its development — former US President Barack Obama has urged the Democratic Party to establish a framework for discussing how to respond to the technology.

The New York Times reported Sunday (local time) that Obama, speaking at a closed-door Democratic fundraiser in Manhattan on Thursday, warned that AI "could become dangerous if not properly controlled" and called on the party to begin deliberating on how to address it.

According to excerpts from a transcript provided by Obama's office, he urged House Minority Floor Leader Hakeem Jeffries directly, saying he "strongly recommends that, should he become speaker, the Democratic Party establish a framework for open public debate" on AI.

Obama's office stressed that his position is not one of outright opposition to AI, but rather a call to ensure it develops in a controllable direction. He is neither an "accelerationist" pushing for the fastest possible development nor a "doomer" predicting AI will bring about humanity's ruin. His office said that "if properly managed, it will clearly be a beneficial technology" and that it is time to begin a serious conversation.

President Donald Trump and the Republican Party have pushed back against calls to slow AI development, arguing that China will not join any such discussion and that the US and other countries engaging in it alone would effectively cede the AI market to Beijing. Trump weighed in Sunday, saying there are "too many negative forces highlighting things that, in my view, should not be highlighted," framing the AI slowdown movement — which originated from concerns within the industry — as driven by bad-faith actors.

Democrats, by contrast, see the issue as a way to differentiate themselves from Republicans in the midterm elections, and several potential presidential contenders have begun calling for AI regulation.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that Democrats must tackle the AI question "head-on," adding: "We need safeguards. We need rules and we need limits. We need a kill switch for AI that goes out of control."

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, considered a potential Democratic presidential contender, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that "it is long past time for the federal government to step up, take this seriously, and put guardrails in place at home and abroad."

The Democratic Party has decided to begin formal deliberations on the issue. Jeffries announced on ABC's "This Week" that a caucus meeting on the matter is planned, saying there is "an urgent need to act in response to the challenges AI poses" and that the US must "protect the American people and slow the pace of AI development to ensure it advances safely."

House Democrats are set to hold a caucus meeting Tuesday morning to begin substantive discussions on how to respond to AI.


kate01@heraldcorp.com