Presidential Candidates Face Rapid AI Developments Ahead of 2028

Technology is advancing faster than policy can be developed, and AI promises to be a divisive issue in the 2028 presidential race, NBC News reported. Because it has implications for the economy, national security and individual liberty, candidates will need to tell voters where they stand on each new advance in technology and each new policy proposal.

Vance told the graduating class at the Air Force Academy that service members should use technology to make themselves better but never submit to it. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has shifted into a more populist stance on AI. Jason Elliott, a former deputy chief of staff for Newsom, told NBC News that every elected official's position should be evolving on AI from week to week and month to month.

Polls show that Americans are increasingly concerned about the downsides of AI, though it is impossible to know whether sentiments will continue to move in that direction or reverse course.