What happens when artificial intelligence becomes less popular than Congress?

For our Season 4 capstone, we examine why public trust in AI is declining, particularly among younger Americans, and whether fears about job displacement and data centers are creating a wider political backlash.

Then we get into a deeper policy discussion.

We explore how AI should be regulated, from treating it as a public utility to requiring greater transparency, incident reporting, protections for children, and stronger oversight of chip exports. The conversation also turns to open-source AI, the rapid growth of Chinese models, and the difficult question of whether people should own and receive compensation for the data used to train AI systems.

Finally, we consider whether AI will become a defining issue in U.S. elections and discuss New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s approach to AI in government and schools.

Guests:

• Art Abal, Managing Director, Vana Foundation
• Sheila Warren, Board Chair, Advanced AI Society
• Justin Slaughter, VP of Regulatory Affairs, Paradigm

The People’s AI is presented by the Vana Foundation, supporting a new internet rooted in data sovereignty and user ownership, where individuals, not corporations, govern their own data and share the value it creates. Learn more at https://vana.org.