OpenAI Lobbyist Advises 2028 Hopefuls on AI
- •OpenAI lobbyist Chris Lehane urged 2028 presidential hopefuls to develop a governing philosophy for AI
- •Memo warns Democrats opposing AI infrastructure could be on the wrong side of the debate
- •Lehane sent the memo to about half a dozen candidates, lawmakers and political operatives
OpenAI’s chief lobbyist Chris Lehane privately urged prospective 2028 presidential candidates to develop a governing philosophy for artificial intelligence, arguing that the technology will shape their White House campaigns. In a memo obtained by POLITICO, he said candidates need more than talking points on campaign issues and warned that Democrats could be on the wrong side of the debate if they oppose infrastructure needed to build AI.
Lehane warned that a fight over data centers could extend beyond local projects. He wrote that if the United States loses its AI lead to China, it could become “the 2028 version of the 2002 vote to go to war in Iraq.”
The memo had not previously been reported. According to a person familiar with it, Lehane sent it to about half a dozen prospective candidates, along with a few members of Congress and prominent political operatives, as both parties begin preparing for the next presidential race.