Obama Urges Fast Government Regulation Of AI
Former US President Barack Obama said Friday in a discussion at Colgate University that the government must regulate artificial intelligence and emphasized the need to act fast, while criticizing the Trump administration dismissal of concerns over rapid AI development.
Speaking to students and faculty at Colgate University in New York, Obama warned that unregulated AI expansion could deepen misinformation, labor displacement and national security risks. He argued that waiting for market self correction would be too late, urging bipartisan federal rules on transparency, safety testing and accountability for large model developers.
According to CNN, Obama specifically faulted the current Trump administration approach for downplaying AI risks and rolling back early guardrails established during the Biden era. He said dismissal of expert warnings on frontier models and synthetic media could leave the United States exposed to election interference and economic disruption.
Obama said effective regulation must balance innovation with protection, calling for mandatory risk assessments, watermarking of AI generated content and independent audits similar to those used in aviation and pharmaceuticals. This is an evergreen governance model where governments set baseline safety standards while private companies compete on performance and applications. He also noted that universities like Colgate have a role in shaping ethical AI literacy.
The former president highlighted global implications, noting that Ghana and other African economies adopting AI in finance, health and education also need clear national frameworks to prevent exploitation and data abuse. The US debate mirrors efforts by the European Union AI Act and ongoing UNESCO AI ethics guidelines that advocate human centered oversight.
He urged students to engage actively in policy discussions rather than treat AI as purely a technical issue, saying the decisions made in the next two years will define the next two decades. Read more on the full interview via CNN.
Source: #Howedey.com
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Author: Korkor Anumu
