OpenAI Is Already Trying to Shape the 2028 Election

OpenAI executive Chris Lehane is comparing the economic impact of artificial intelligence to the 1930s New Deal, arguing that the 2028 presidential election will be a defining moment for the technology. In a new essay, Lehane urges politicians to move past anti-AI sentiment and develop a third path that helps Americans share in the technology's benefits.

His five policy priorities span worker protections, education, child safety, and data center development. The rhetoric marks a notable shift from OpenAI's previous agenda of accelerating development and cutting regulatory barriers. Yet critics point out that Lehane's proposals largely encourage wider adoption and infrastructure expansion rather than holding companies accountable for worker displacement.

Kate Brennan of the AI Now Institute notes that invoking the New Deal invokes state capacity to benefit the public, while this agenda is written by a private company advocating for its own growth. Our read is that OpenAI is attempting to preemptively defuse bipartisan voter frustration over inflation, job displacement, and data centers before those anxieties dominate the next presidential cycle.

By framing AI adoption as essential to middle-class success, the company positions itself as a partner in economic recovery while avoiding binding requirements like revised corporate tax rates or hiring incentives for human workers.

Lehane also warns that opposing data centers could jeopardize America's lead over China and compares a moratorium stance to the Iraq war vote.

Meanwhile, his calls for safety standards and kill switches contrast with OpenAI's past opposition to state oversight bills like California's SB 1047.

Whether these proposed policies will genuinely redistribute economic power or further entrench corporate influence remains the core tension to watch as the 2028 race approaches.