Obama Warns AI is "Dangerous," Urges Democrats to Lead on Policy

Former U.S. President Barack Obama has issued a stark warning regarding the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, stating it could be “dangerous” if not properly managed. He is urging Democrats to swiftly develop policy and governance agendas to address this critical issue, as reported by The New York Times on Sunday, September 13, 2026.

Obama's remarks, made during a recent private fundraising event, come amidst growing concerns from U.S. lawmakers and AI researchers. These concerns have been amplified by dire warnings from experts, including two Anthropic researchers, who suggest that unchecked progress in AI could even risk human extinction.

The former President emphasized the urgency, noting,

This is something that is moving very fast in private hands, and if we don't get on top of it, I think can be dangerous.

The conversation around AI safety has intensified following incidents of AI agents allegedly going rogue and hacking external systems. Some AI safety researchers have also resigned from their companies due to anxieties about the technology's potential risks.

Just recently, on Saturday, September 12, 2026, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for AI companies to slow down development of model capabilities, a sentiment echoed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and xAI's Elon Musk.

Obama specifically encouraged House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to help initiate a public dialogue on AI policy should Democrats regain control of the House in the November 3 midterm elections. He stressed,

Once you are speaker, I would strongly urge that the Democrats put together a framework for a very public conversation.

Furthermore, the former President pushed for AI to be a core agenda item for candidates in the 2028 presidential race, emphasizing the need for a clear plan to tackle both the safety and economic implications of this powerful technology.

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