OpenAI Lays Out Policy Plan to Shape the 2028 Presidential Election

OpenAI’s top global affairs officer, Chris Lehane, published an essay arguing that the 2028 presidential election will be a major turning point for artificial intelligence. He wants politicians to build policies that deal directly with public worries about the technology, rather than just reacting to anti-AI feelings and anger over large computer centers.

To explain his point, Lehane compares the economic effects of AI to the New Deal from the 1930s, which was a set of government programs created after industrialization and the Great Depression. He points out that Americans today feel a similar worry about losing control over their economic futures and urges leaders to find a middle path that helps people share in the rewards of AI. His essay outlines five main policy goals, including worker protections, education, safety rules, and the building of data centers.

These proposals follow a recent election where Democrats won control of Congress while voters expressed deep frustration over the high cost of living. Kate Brennan, an expert on AI and corporate power at the AI Now Institute, noted that this essay marks a change from OpenAI's past agenda, which focused on speeding up AI growth, cutting rules, and building more hardware. Even so, many of Lehane’s current ideas still encourage wider AI use and support the exact type of infrastructure growth that companies like OpenAI need to expand.

Brennan criticized the essay for using the New Deal as a comparison while pushing for rules that mainly help a private company. She pointed out that the original New Deal placed strict limits on corporate power, whereas Lehane’s plan offers very few details on how to hold AI companies responsible for economic disruption.

As the country looks toward the 2028 election, affordability is shaping up to be a central issue because of inflation and the rising cost of living. Voters are increasingly worried that large data centers will drive up their electricity bills and that AI tools will take away their jobs.

To address these financial worries, Lehane suggests tax breaks for workers who learn AI skills, easier access to money for business owners, and new ways to share company profits with employees. Brennan noted that these suggestions are not legal requirements that force companies to share wealth or pay the costs of replacing human workers. She argued that changing corporate tax rates or offering tax credits for hiring human workers would make much more sense than a plan built entirely around the idea that mass AI adoption will automatically help everyone.

Lehane also addresses public concerns about the massive amounts of electricity and resources that data centers require, while highlighting the construction jobs and local tax money they can bring in. He warns that politicians who support freezing the construction of data centers could hurt America's competitive lead over China. His proposed agenda further covers safety protections for children using AI companions and argues against keeping AI out of classrooms. Critics point out that his argument assumes AI improves learning, an unearned claim that needs much more study.

While Lehane calls for enforceable safety standards, independent checks, and a master switch to shut down AI systems if they go wrong, critics find these safety pledges hard to trust. Brennan noted that OpenAI previously fought against safety laws, such as California’s 2024 AI safety bill, and tried to block state-level regulations. OpenAI has recently shifted its stance on some of these measures and stated it is open to working with independent evaluators.

Lehane also argues that humans should stay in charge of important decisions made with AI rather than handing all judgment over to machines. That raises a difficult question about what human control actually means in a society where people are increasingly forced to use AI in school, work, healthcare, and government. OpenAI did not respond to requests for more details on Lehane's proposals before publication.

Summary

OpenAI's policy proposals show a new strategy by major tech companies to influence political debates and government rules before the 2028 election. As voters face rising living costs and worry about jobs and data centers, the debate over who benefits from AI will drive major political decisions.