OpenAI is already trying to shape the 2028 election

OpenAI chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane published an essay comparing AI's economic impact to the New Deal and urging politicians to develop policies addressing Americans' AI concerns, laying out five priorities spanning worker protections, education, AI safety and data center development. Critics including AI Now Institute's Kate Brennan said the rhetoric marks a shift from OpenAI's prior deregulatory agenda but that the proposals largely encourage AI adoption and infrastructure expansion without binding requirements for sharing AI-generated wealth or holding companies accountable. The essay follows a Democratic midterm victory driven by cost-of-living frustration, with opposition to data centers emerging as a bipartisan concern in several races.