Editorial illustration for Brennan: OpenAI's 2028 Election Policy Assumes Mass AI Adoption Not Yet Seen
OpenAI's 2028 Election Plan Assumes AI Adoption Not Yet Real
Chris Lehane wants Washington thinking about 2028 now. OpenAI's chief global affairs officer published an essay this week arguing the next presidential election will be a turning point for how America handles artificial intelligence, and he's urging politicians to get ahead of it with real policy rather than vague gestures toward public unease. That unease is showing up everywhere: backlash against data centers, anxiety about job losses, frustration over costs.
Lehane reaches for a New Deal comparison, framing today's disruption as a rerun of the anxiety Americans felt during industrialization and the Great Depression, before FDR's programs reset the rules. He calls for a "compelling third path" and lists five priorities covering worker protections, education, safety and infrastructure.
The timing isn't incidental. Lehane's essay landed right after Democrats flipped Congress in the midterms, a result driven largely by voter anger over the cost of living. That context matters for a company whose policy posture a year ago looked very different, built around speeding up development and clearing away regulation rather than worker safeguards. Kate Brennan, who leads AI and corporate power policy at the AI Now Institute, has been watching that shift closely.
Throughout his essay, Lehane frames AI as a technology that could give Americans back their sense of agency and economic opportunity. But he ties average Americans’ “middle class” success to participation in an economy increasingly shaped by companies like OpenAI. Whether his policies will meaningfully redistribute power or subtly entrench it is less clear.
Why this matters
Lehane is drafting a policy playbook for a world that doesn't exist yet. Brennan's critique cuts right to the gap: OpenAI wants Washington to treat 2028 like the AI New Deal moment, but the "mass adoption" and "societal benefit" the pitch depends on haven't materialized. That's worth sitting with if you build or fund this technology.
Companies lobbying for favorable frameworks now, years ahead of actual usage data, are betting that policymakers write rules for the AI boom OpenAI predicts rather than the one that's actually unfolding. For founders, that's a reminder that the political groundwork being laid isn't neutral, it's shaped by the interests of whoever gets there first. For researchers, it's a flag that public narratives about AI's economic impact are running well ahead of the evidence.
Policy built on assumed upside, with no accounting for the backlash already visible around data centers and public anxiety, risks locking in rules that serve incumbents more than the technology's actual trajectory. Watch who else starts publishing their own "2028 vision," and watch what data, if any, backs it up.
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Common Questions Answered
What is Chris Lehane's main argument about AI policy and the 2028 election?
OpenAI's chief global affairs officer argues that the 2028 presidential election will be a critical turning point for how America handles artificial intelligence, and he urges politicians to develop concrete policy solutions rather than vague responses to public concerns. Lehane frames this moment as comparable to the New Deal, suggesting it requires proactive governance ahead of the election rather than reactive measures after widespread AI adoption occurs.
What public concerns about AI does the article identify as driving backlash?
The article identifies three main sources of public unease about AI: backlash against data centers, anxiety about job losses, and frustration over costs. These concerns are showing up across various segments of the population and reflect broader uncertainty about AI's societal impact.
What is the central critique of Lehane's policy proposal regarding mass AI adoption?
The critique highlights a significant gap between Lehane's policy framework and current reality: he is drafting policies for a world of mass AI adoption and widespread societal benefit that hasn't actually materialized yet. OpenAI is essentially asking Washington to create regulatory frameworks based on projected AI usage and benefits rather than on demonstrated adoption data and proven societal outcomes.
How does the article characterize Lehane's framing of AI's economic impact on Americans?
Lehane frames AI as a technology that could restore Americans' sense of agency and economic opportunity, particularly for middle-class success. However, the article notes that he ties this middle-class prosperity to participation in an economy increasingly shaped by companies like OpenAI, raising questions about whether his proposed policies would meaningfully redistribute power or subtly entrench corporate dominance.
Why is the timing of OpenAI's policy advocacy concerning according to the article?
Companies like OpenAI are lobbying for favorable regulatory frameworks years ahead of actual usage data and proven mass adoption, essentially betting that policymakers will write rules for an AI boom that OpenAI envisions but that hasn't yet occurred. This approach prioritizes shaping policy based on corporate projections rather than on evidence of real-world impact and adoption.
Further Reading
- OpenAI is already pitching 2028 hopefuls on how to talk about AI - POLITICO
- OpenAI's Lehane likens backing a data centre ban to the 2002 Iraq vote - The Next Web
- Special Edition: 2028 - OpenAI Global Affairs
- OpenAI's post-election power play - Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
- OpenAI Plans Post-Midterm Political Push to Shape U.S. AI Policy - TradingView
