Abstract:
There are still two years to go until the 2028 U.S. presidential election, but OpenAI has already begun trying to influence the direction of discussions about artificial intelligence in this election. Chris Lehane, the company's head of global affairs, recently publicly stated that artificial intelligence may become one of the most decisive issues in the 2028 U.S. election and called on politicians to establish an AI policy framework as soon as possible that can respond to public concerns.
In a newly released policy article, Lehane compared the current social and economic changes brought about by artificial intelligence to the industrial transformation period experienced by the United States in the 1930s. He believes that Franklin Roosevelt reshaped the American social contract through the "New Deal" and that the era of artificial intelligence also requires a new policy system to help the public adapt to changes.
Lehane pointed out that many Americans are now worried about losing control of their economic future and are worried about the employment impact, imbalanced wealth distribution and changes in social structure caused by artificial intelligence. He advocated that political leaders should find a "third way", neither allowing the unrestricted development of artificial intelligence nor allowing technology to be monopolized and controlled by a few people, but allowing more people to share the benefits of AI.
To this end, OpenAI has proposed five key policy directions, covering multiple fields such as workers' rights protection, education reform, artificial intelligence security, data center construction, and child protection. These include encouraging workers to learn AI skills, helping entrepreneurs obtain more financial support, exploring profit sharing mechanisms, and promoting the wider entry of artificial intelligence into the education system.
In the field of education, Lehane warned that if schools completely exclude artificial intelligence tools, it may further widen the gap in educational resources. He believes that artificial intelligence should be included in the future education system rather than simply excluded from the classroom.
At the same time, OpenAI also calls for the establishment of more complete artificial intelligence safety standards, including independent evaluation mechanisms, public supervision systems, and emergency measures to shut down dangerous AI systems if necessary.
The timing of the release of this policy concept is highly political. Not long ago, the U.S. midterm elections just ended, and the Democratic Party successfully regained control of Congress. Voters' dissatisfaction with the rising cost of living, inflation, and economic pressure are regarded as important factors. Against this background, the employment substitution risks and economic benefit distribution issues brought about by artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly important public issues.
Kate Brennan, head of artificial intelligence and corporate power policy at the AI Now Institute, said that there is a clear difference between Lehane’s statement and OpenAI’s policy focus over the past year. Previously, OpenAI focused more on accelerating the development of AI technology, reducing regulatory obstacles, and promoting infrastructure construction, but now it is beginning to pay more attention to demonstrating to the public the social value that artificial intelligence may bring.
However, critics believe that this "AI New Deal" concept is still essentially conducive to the development of OpenAI and the entire artificial intelligence industry. Brennan pointed out that the New Deal during the Roosevelt era not only promoted economic development, but also restricted corporate power and strengthened labor protection. The plan proposed by OpenAI is less concerned with how to hold AI companies responsible for potential future economic impacts.
She believes that if the public interest is to be truly protected, policymakers need to consider more binding measures, such as adjusting the corporate tax system, encouraging companies to retain human jobs, limiting excessive market concentration, and ensuring that the wealth created by artificial intelligence can be returned to society more broadly.
Although artificial intelligence is not the core topic of the 2026 midterm elections, controversy surrounding the construction of data centers has begun to arise in multiple constituencies. Some residents worry that large-scale AI data centers will push up electricity consumption, electricity prices and resource pressure, while the technology industry emphasizes that these projects can bring job opportunities and economic growth.
Industry analysts believe that as artificial intelligence capabilities continue to improve and penetrate into all areas of the economy and society, discussions around employment, energy, education and wealth distribution will become more and more frequent. By the 2028 presidential election, artificial intelligence is likely to no longer be just a topic in the technology industry, but will become an important political issue related to the vital interests of ordinary voters.
From the current point of view, OpenAI obviously does not want to play the role of just a technology provider. By issuing policy proposals in advance, influencing the direction of political discussions, and promoting a regulatory framework that is conducive to industry development, this artificial intelligence company has begun to actively participate in shaping the future American AI governance model. The debate over how artificial intelligence should be integrated into society, who can benefit from it, and who bears the risks is likely to become one of the focuses on the American political stage in the next few years.
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