Democrats Surrender in AI Regulation Battle
On Thursday, Time magazine named “the architects of AI” as its 2025 “Person of the Year,” reflecting a significant divide in American politics. The cover art features a reinterpretation of the iconic 1932 photograph, “Lunch atop a Skyscraper,” populated by Silicon Valley billionaires such as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. This shift among the social elites further highlights how AI is becoming a polarizing issue, benefiting the ultra-wealthy while sidelining the working class that is being displaced by these technological advancements.
Time’s accolade is emblematic of a broader trend among American elites, including prominent figures like Marc Benioff, the magazine’s owner. The current economic landscape is deeply fragmented; industries tied to AI are experiencing a boom while traditional sectors falter. According to reports, the U.S. economy in 2025 is now starkly divided, indicating that the tech elite have high stakes in promoting AI as a cornerstone of future growth.
Former President Trump has aligned himself with this AI wave, leveraging his connections with tech billionaires while neglecting his blue-collar base. Observers note a contradiction in Trump’s rhetoric, as he promotes the very industry that may be undercutting the economic interests of the working class he once championed. As Edward Luce from the Financial Times points out, this dissonance could jeopardize the political capital he gained from working-class support.
Recent discussions, including those in The New Republic, suggest that articulating an anti-AI stance could resonate electorally. Polls indicate widespread public apprehension regarding AI’s impact on jobs, with a significant majority believing the technology threatens their livelihoods. Concerns about AI’s environmental footprint and its energy consumption are also on the rise, with voters recognizing the negative externalities of data centers housing AI operations.
The electoral outcomes from early November indicated a growing political momentum against AI and its detrimental impacts. In several jurisdictions, Democratic candidates successfully campaigned against the rising costs associated with data centers, which contribute to increased electric bills. Candidates who articulated these issues, such as Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, highlighted the bipartisan nature of angers towards Big Tech, indicating that dissatisfaction transcends party lines.
The Democratic Party has an opportunity to tap into this AI backlash to court disenchanted voters. Economic populists within the party are calling for regulatory measures against AI, a stance increasingly championed by figures like Bernie Sanders. Yet, the contrasting enthusiasm of corporate Democrats, such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who favors an AI-friendly agenda, reveals a division that may hinder the party’s capacity to unify around a robust regulatory framework.
As reports suggest, the dual paths of Republican alignment with Big Tech and Democratic internal conflicts over AI regulation highlight a critical moment in U.S. politics. Unless the leaders of the Democratic Party embrace the calls for regulation that voters desire, they risk alienating those already critical of their commitment to social and economic justice in the era of AI.