OpenAI advises 2028 political candidates on AI communication strategies

Contained within the memo is a stark warning for Democrats who may be tempted to oppose the expansion of U.S. AI infrastructure, including controversial data centers, due to local concerns such as affordability and energy use. Lehane argues that resistance to the infrastructure underpinning AI could position the party on the “wrong side of the debate,” with potential consequences that reach far beyond individual communities. Drawing a parallel to the 2002 congressional vote on the Iraq war, he suggests that surrendering U.S. AI leadership to China could become a defining issue for the next cycle.

Lehane, who previously served as press secretary to then-Vice President Al Gore, advocates for a “third path” approach. He cautions against both unchecked AI development and centralized control in the hands of a select elite, suggesting that the winning candidate will be the one who proposes a balanced approach, giving Americans agency while safeguarding against excesses. Such a strategy, he posits, could allow the next president to reshape the country's social contract during an era of rapid technological advancement, much as the New Deal did in the 1930s.

While AI’s influence is already being felt in the 2026 midterm elections - particularly as data centers become a point of contention tied to affordability - Lehane anticipates the technology’s profile will only grow by 2028 as its capabilities expand and public understanding deepens. The memo encourages candidates to articulate concrete policies on issues such as maintaining human oversight of consequential decisions, reforming the tax code for the AI era, protecting children, enhancing affordability, and ensuring the U.S. stays ahead of China in technological innovation. “A world in which America leads will look very different from one in which the Chinese Communist Party sets the pace,” Lehane writes.

Lehane’s message arrives as both parties accelerate their preparations for the impending race. With the so-called shadow primary underway, he asserts that candidates who neither seek to halt progress nor adopt a laissez-faire stance, but instead offer a vision for responsibly shaping AI’s trajectory, will be best positioned for success. OpenAI declined to comment on the memo. The outreach offers a glimpse into the ways leading technology firms are seeking to influence the political debate as AI reshapes economies and societies around the world.