Business Insider reported on the evening of Nov. 2 that Chris Lehane, OpenAI's chief global affairs officer, is privately briefing people considering a 2028 presidential run: AI will shape the central theme of the next campaign. In a memo, he warned candidates that they cannot simply prepare a few talking points around hot-button issues; they need a comprehensive approach to AI governance. He singled out Democrats in particular: if they oppose AI infrastructure, they may lose ground in policy debates.
Lehane believes the tug-of-war over data centers has long outgrown the local projects themselves. As both parties begin preparing for the presidential election, OpenAI is shaping how potential candidates understand and position themselves on AI. People familiar with the matter say the memo was sent to about six potential candidates, plus several lawmakers and prominent political figures.
A Middle Path and a "New Deal" Analogy: AI Raised to a Historical Dimension
Lehane recommends a middle path: neither letting AI expand unchecked nor handing the say over technology to self-appointed elites. He also compared the AI era to the 1932 "New Deal," arguing that the next president could redefine "the relationship between the public and the new forces changing their lives."
In his view, AI has already seeped into the 2026 election landscape: data centers that have drawn opposition have become a flashpoint in cost-of-living debates, and technology moving too fast is making voters anxious, as if the social contract is being torn open. But by 2028, as AI becomes more capable and the public becomes more familiar with it, the situation will change. He urged candidates to clearly explain: how major decisions will remain under human control, how taxation will work in the AI era, how to protect children, whether AI can ease the burden of living costs, and whether America can preserve its technological edge. "The people who win will not promise to hold back the future, nor will they naively assume everything will improve on its own—they will tell Americans how to shape it and benefit from it."
