OpenAI's Chris Lehane has proposed a new "social contract" in which artificial intelligence would play a defining role in the 2028 U.S. election, a pitch that presents public benefits for Americans alongside the company's own business interests.
2028 U.S. election · OpenAI
OpenAI proposes a "social contract" that places AI at the center of the 2028 election
Chris Lehane, OpenAI's policy chief, presents a framework for how the public and AI developers share responsibilities and gains. The pitch argues Americans would benefit, while the company's own commercial position would also advance.
How the proposal is structured
Step 1
The pitch
AI shapes campaigns, voter engagement, and a shared public framework.
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Step 2
Two claimed gains
A public benefit for Americans, alongside OpenAI's business interests.
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Step 3
Open questions
Rules, safeguards, and partners have not yet been specified.
Claimed upside
Public benefits for Americans from a shared framework
A defined role for AI in campaigns and voter engagement
A clearer division of responsibilities between the public and AI developers
Points drawing scrutiny
Public benefit is explicitly tied to corporate interest
Conflicts of interest are not yet addressed
Misinformation and synthetic media risks remain unaddressed in detail
What remains unclear
The concept is clear; the mechanics are not yet.
Mechanisms
Which specific rules or safeguards are intended
Timelines
No schedule for a more detailed agenda
Implementation
How lawmakers, election officials, and other AI developers would be involved
Accountability
How transparency and conflicts of interest would be handled
What to watch
Whether OpenAI publishes a more specific policy agenda, and how U.S. policymakers and election bodies respond. Until then, the proposal is best read as an early signal of how the company intends to position itself in the debate over AI's role in democratic life.
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