Obama ai comments – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Skip to main content
The homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.
The homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.

The AI Superintelligence Slowdown

See all Stories

Posted
T
TC Sottek
Barack Obama takes the middle way on AI.

AI commentary is frothy this week! Obama chimed in with a series of posts on X saying he’s neither an AI “accelerationist” nor a “doomer.” In a familiar tone from the former president, he cautioned that choices we make about technology “should not be made just by the companies involved, but by all of us.”

“We need government — and specifically our leaders in Washington — to get proactive in coming up with concrete proposals, laws, and regulations that deal with serious safety concerns,” Obama said.

President Obama’s post on X: I was encouraged this week to see the leaders of the frontier labs agree on the need for them to slow down the pace of AI development. Given the stakes, it’s a good and necessary first step. But I’m even more encouraged by the growing recognition that how this powerful new technology develops should be at the center of our public debate. I’ve been watching the progress on AI for over a decade now, and one thing that’s clear to me is that the potential impact of this technology is not overhyped. It’s also moving at lightning speed – and even faster than those who are engineering it can keep up with. I’m not an AI accelerationist who believes it will lead to some techno-utopia, and I’m not a doomer who thinks it will inevitably lead to humanity’s destruction.But whether this technology results in amazing breakthroughs in medicine, energy and education or unleashes huge economic disruptions, greater inequality, and potential catastrophe will depend on the choices that we make right now – choices that should be made not just by the companies involved, but by all of us.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
Comments
Loading comments
Getting the conversation ready...

Most Popular

Most Popular
  1. New Zelda and GTA represent a games industry that no longer exists
  2. HomePod Mini 2 first look: Three things I love and one disappointment
  3. Flock keeps ignoring requests to cancel its contracts
  4. Sam Altman says it’s better for RAM to be in a data center than on your desk
  5. Sam Altman sympathizes with mathematicians, but says OpenAI’s math onslaught won’t stop

More in AI

I built an AI Tamagotchi before Meta couldI built an AI Tamagotchi before Meta could
Apple Intelligence is finally coming to China with iOS 27.3Apple Intelligence is finally coming to China with iOS 27.3
Sam Altman says it’s better for RAM to be in a data center than on your deskSam Altman says it’s better for RAM to be in a data center than on your desk
The biggest names in AI are backing a new way to opt out of scrapingThe biggest names in AI are backing a new way to opt out of scraping
Google’s satellite AI server transmits its first response to EarthGoogle’s satellite AI server transmits its first response to Earth
Starbucks wants to use AI to show you a ‘personalized digital menu’ at the drive-thruStarbucks wants to use AI to show you a ‘personalized digital menu’ at the drive-thru

Top Stories