OpenAI is already trying to shape the 2028 election

OpenAI’s Chris Lehane is already working to shape the 2028 U.S. election by proposing a new social contract for AI that would share the technology’s benefits with Americans while also serving the company’s business interests. The effort reflects OpenAI’s push to define the policy terms of the AI debate well before the next presidential campaign. The company has not yet released specific funding figures, user targets, or revenue commitments tied to the proposal. The initiative matters because early framing of AI policy could influence regulation, public trust, and market position for OpenAI and its rivals. What to watch next is whether the social contract proposal gains traction with policymakers and candidates, and whether competitors respond with their own election-year AI agendas.