Harris has long advocated for guardrails around AI while also promoting growth in the US, but she has more recently echoed calls for a slowdown in development.
Kamala Harris discusses her new memoir 107 Days at the Southbank Centre’s London Literature Festival in London in 2025.
asserted
Harris → advocate → 2025
Photograph: James Manning/PAAs vice-president, Harris led the Biden administration’s efforts to understand and mitigate the risks of AI.
asserted
Harris → lead → AI
In 2023, she had voiced concerns about the short-term risks posed by AI, such as the threat to democracy through disinformation and dissemination, as well as privacy.
asserted
she → voice → disinformation
On 14 September, Harris reiterated the need for stricter federal regulations around artificial intelligence after tech executives called for a slowdown in AI development.
asserted
executives → reiterate → development
Gavin Newsom
Newsom has pushed for stricter AI regulation in his state, where many tech companies, such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, are based.
asserted
companies → push → OpenAI
Gavin Newsom speaks at the Center for American Progress Ideas conference at in Washington DC on 19 May 2026.
uncertain
Newsom → speak → May
the governor has promoted AI advancements in California, he has incrementally added safeguards: requiring large companies to publish best practices, adding whistleblower protections, including safeguards for young users, mandating a study to help companies retain employees rather than replace them, and more.
asserted
companies → promote → them
In September, Newsom signed an executive order urging companies to consider creating a “kill switch” after tech executives voiced concerns over the possibility that AI could harm humans.
uncertain
AI → sign → humans
Shapiro has taken a middle-ground approach to AI development and datacenter construction, advocating for technology investment with clear regulations to reduce harm.
“I want to be clear: I am not a doomer.
asserted
I → take → harm
I don’t think it is inevitable that AI is going to take over the world or that someone will misuse it to kill us or do harm.
asserted
someone → think → harm
But I do have real concerns, as do many Pennsylvanians and many Americans,” Shapiro said at an AI summit in September.
asserted
Shapiro → have → September
Photograph: Sarah Yenesel/EPAShapiro was an early adopter of AI development, championing AI investment in his state in 2024.
asserted
EPAShapiro → champion → 2024
But he called for stricter federal regulations around the technology in September and signed an executive order in August to ensure datacenters are meeting stricter environmental and energy usage standards.
asserted
datacenters → call → standards
Andy Beshear
Beshear has enacted policies in Kentucky to regulate the construction of datacenters and recently called for stronger federal oversight on AI.
asserted
Beshear → enact → AI
ReutersIn August, Beshear signed an executive order requiring datacenter developers to ensure they won’t have a detrimental impact on the environment and taxpayers, among other necessities, before building.
asserted
they → sign → necessities
He also called for the end of taxpayer incentives.
asserted
He → call → incentives
Kelly has called for safely implemented AI in the US through congressional action and called for protections for workers whose jobs are affected by AI.
asserted
jobs → call → AI
Last year, Kelly published a roadmap suggesting the government create an “AI Horizon Fund” backed by AI companies, that would finance education and training tools, support energy infrastructure and assist displaced employees.
asserted
that → publish → employees
Mark Kelly speaks at the National Action Network’s annual convention on 11 April 2026 in New York City.
asserted
Kelly → speak → City
Getty Images“I do believe there are benefits, and they could be significant
uncertain
they → believe → ?
,” Kelly told Politico in September.
asserted
Kelly → tell → September
“I also see the national security implications of not getting this right and not being the leader.”
asserted
this → see → implications
Kelly told Politico he planned to introduce legislation establishing the fund.
asserted
he → tell → fund
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Congresswoman from New York
Ocasio-Cortez has had concerns about the economic impact of AI and datacenters and voiced skepticism about the rapid expansion and integration of the technology.
“We’re talking about a massive economic bubble,” Ocasio-Cortez said during a House hearing last year.
asserted
Cortez → have → hearing
In June, the progressive representative introduced companion legislation alongside senator Bernie Sanders that would temporarily prohibit the construction of datacenters until Congress produces legislation to create guardrails for the environmental, safety and economic impacts of AI.
asserted
Congress → introduce → AI
lexandria Ocasio-Cortez attends a news conference with Bernie Sanders to announce the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act in the US Capitol on 25 March 2026.
asserted
Cortez → attend → March
Ocasio-Cortez also pushed back on Trump’s claim that only those who are “backwards and poor” would oppose datacenters being built in their communities.
uncertain
datacenters → push → communities
“How about we put one in Mar-a-Lago?” Ocasio-Cortez responded.
asserted
Cortez → put → Lago
Ro Khanna Congressman from California
Khanna, a progressive Democrat who represents Silicon Valley, has called for stricter federal regulations on AI, specifically suggesting that the US reach an agreement with China on basic guardrails.
asserted
US → represent → guardrails
Ro Khanna speak to reporters outside the Department of Justice offices in Washington DC on9 February 2026.
asserted
Khanna → speak → February
Photograph: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock“The American people are deeply concerned about the future of AI and the potential risks,” Khanna said in a statement to the Guardian.
asserted
Khanna → concern → Guardian
“We urgently need an agreement with China on basic inspections and safety standards.”
asserted
We → need → inspections
Khanna has compared winning the AI race to “winning a nuclear war” and said basic safety and misuse standards should be put into place before the US and China compete.
asserted
US → compare → place
But he has also resisted calls from progressive leaders like Sanders to impose a moratorium on the expansion of AI datacenters.
asserted
he → resist → datacenters
Buttigieg has voiced concerns about AI’s harms for years, but more recently criticized the federal government for not moving fast enough to regulate the quickly evolving technology.
asserted
Buttigieg → voice → technology
As early as 2017 , Buttigieg warned AI could hurt US jobs or have other negative implications.
uncertain
AI → warn → implications
Pete Buttigieg speaks at a rally for Democratic candidates at Centennial high school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on 13 September 2026.
asserted
Buttigieg → speak → September
year, Buttigieg published a Substack calling on US leaders to take AI dangers more seriously, saying the US needs to “summon at least as much economic and political imagination today, as it took to handle the everyday impacts of the Great Depression, World War II, or the invention of electricity and later the Internet”.
asserted
it → publish → electricity
He recently reiterated his concerns about officials not moving quickly enough on AI, accusing Congress of “sitting on its hands ” rather than regulating AI.
asserted
officials → reiterate → AI
The Aporia
