At a recent Democratic fundraising event, former President Barack Obama stressed the importance of making artificial intelligence a key focus for the Democratic Party. Speaking with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Obama highlighted the need for a comprehensive plan to manage AI's rapid development and its potential economic effects. He urged Democrats to establish a public framework for discussing AI once they regain the House majority. Obama acknowledged the technology's fast pace in private sectors and warned of potential dangers if left unregulated. However, he also noted AI's promising benefits, such as accelerating drug development and disease cures. Jeffries supported Obama’s call for decisive AI action, criticizing Republicans for not addressing the issue adequately. Obama has also engaged with AI industry leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, offering himself as a resource for discussions on AI safety. This dialogue follows concerns raised by an Anthropic researcher about the risks of unchecked AI advancement. Amodei recently proposed a strategy to regulate AI progress by enabling independent safety evaluations and establishing common safety standards across companies. Both Altman and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk responded positively to this approach. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump commented on AI safety during a public event, emphasizing the United States' leadership in AI and the need to maintain it, while acknowledging the challenges posed by various opposing forces. These developments reflect growing bipartisan attention to AI governance as the technology continues to evolve rapidly.