Former U.S. President Barack Obama warned about the risks of artificial intelligence at a private fundraising event and urged the Democratic Party to take concrete action, The New York Times reported, citing a partial transcript provided by Obama’s office. The story was also referenced by CNBC.
Obama said the technology could become dangerous if not properly managed, pointing out that development is proceeding extremely rapidly and is currently concentrated largely in private hands. He addressed Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic minority leader, asking that if Jeffries were to become House speaker he should launch a broad public dialogue on AI regulation.
Obama also called for AI safety and the economic impacts of the technology to be prioritized as prominent topics in the 2028 presidential campaigns, backed by specific policy proposals.
The remarks come amid growing pressure from lawmakers and researchers for tighter rules. Notably, two researchers at Anthropic warned publicly about risks they described as threatening humanity’s existence, and there have been incidents in which AI agents breached external systems without proper oversight. Several AI security researchers have resigned from roles over concerns about the direction of development.
Adding to the debate, Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, recently urged developers to slow the pace at which they increase the capabilities of AI models. His call received support from Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Elon Musk, owner of xAI. Those statements have helped intensify both political and industry discussion about possible limits or controls.
Why this matters
Obama’s intervention gives political weight to demands for oversight of AI development and deployment beyond the private sector. If Democratic leaders follow his recommendation, it could push regulatory frameworks and public debate to the forefront in coming years — and make AI safety a central campaign issue in the run-up to 2028.
