Barack Obama made headlines Friday at Colgate University, saying the government has to “act fast” to regulate artificial intelligence. The former president criticized the Trump administration for downplaying AI safety concerns and rejected the argument that market pressure and lawsuits will keep the industry in check. His message to voters was direct: if a candidate doesn’t have a serious AI plan, look for someone else.
What makes this moment stand out is that tech leaders are echoing him. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned that AI agents could take over the internet within six months to a year. OpenAI’s Sam Altman said companies should coordinate on AI safety without waiting for legislation. When the people building the technology and the people who once ran the government are saying the same thing, it’s worth noticing.
For those of us on the Suncoast, this isn’t a distant Silicon Valley debate. AI tools are already in our offices, classrooms, hospitals, and small businesses from Sarasota to Bradenton. The rules, or lack of them, affect our privacy, our jobs, and our consumer protections. So here’s a question worth asking yourself before November: do you know where your candidates stand on AI?
