AI policy could define 2028 election as OpenAI is already trying to shape debate | TechCrunch

Lehane’s proposed AI agenda

Lehane compares AI’s possible economic impact with the changes that led to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. He says people are worried about losing control of their economic futures and calls for a “compelling third path” that would let them share in AI’s gains.

A shift in policy emphasis

Brennan said that agenda focused on speeding AI development, lowering regulatory barriers and expanding infrastructure. She also questioned whether Lehane’s proposals would hold companies responsible for economic disruption, noting that the New Deal included worker protections and limits on corporate power.

Questions over who benefits

Many of Lehane’s proposals would support broader AI use and the infrastructure companies such as OpenAI need to expand. On taxes, he suggests incentives for AI skills training, easier access to capital for entrepreneurs, and new approaches to employee ownership and profit-sharing.

Those ideas are not binding requirements to make workers share in AI-generated wealth or require companies to bear the costs of displaced workers. Brennan said the proposals assume AI will benefit society, a result she said has yet to be demonstrated. She suggested considering a revised corporate tax rate, incentives to hire people rather than automate jobs, and measures to limit corporate market power.

Data centers and election concerns

Lehane acknowledges concerns about data centers while pointing to potential construction jobs and local tax revenue. He warns that a moratorium could threaten the United States’ lead over China, comparing support for such a pause with the 2002 vote authorizing the Iraq war.