California Governor Gavin Newsom recently paused contentious legislation aimed at requiring safety tests for certain artificial intelligence (AI) models prior to their release. This highlights that regulating AI may be too daunting for state governments, necessitating a national initiative spearheaded by strong leadership, particularly from future presidential candidates. Having observed such leadership firsthand, I can attest to how Vice President Kamala Harris approaches AI and related challenges. As her senior policy advisor, I witnessed her seriousness and pragmatism. Her main focus is on the real experiences of everyday people. A defining moment during my time in the White House was when Harris convened consumer advocates and labor leaders to discuss the impact of AI on the public. She listened to their concerns about issues like workforce surveillance, healthcare access, scams using technology to exploit seniors, and the dangers of deepfake content affecting young women. Harris has a strong background in addressing these issues, having created California's first privacy protection unit as attorney general, establishing protocols for user protection against technology misuse. At the meeting's conclusion, she promised to ensure that new technologies would empower rather than harm Americans. Following this, Harris collaborated with the Biden administration to tackle the issues raised, resulting in an executive order aimed at mitigating problems like unfair tenant screening algorithms and worker surveillance systems.

These actions echoed the concerns she heard from stakeholders. In her recent address outlining a plan to improve the lives of the middle class, Harris emphasized the duality of technology's potential benefits and its risks without proper regulation. She has actively worked with global leaders and tech companies to promote a balanced AI vision that protects privacy while maximizing opportunity. The initiatives she advocates could provide a supportive environment for the U. S. AI sector, unless a second Trump administration undermines them. Trump’s 2024 campaign has promised to dismantle existing safety measures, potentially allowing the industry to self-regulate, which could deepen public distrust in AI technologies. As we face an uncertain technological future, the next president will need to effectively navigate AI's implications for safety and society. There is no doubt about how President Harris would address these challenges—she prioritizes listening to the community and taking action based on those insights. Ami Fields-Meyer served as a senior policy advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.