"The Axios Show": Newsom on AI "doomers," Trump and being called "slick"
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom told Axios he doesn't believe artificial intelligence will lead to an apocalypse for humanity.
- "I'm not a 'doomer.' I can't live like that," he said during an interview for "The Axios Show."
Why it matters: Newsom, a potential contender for president in 2028, has a more optimistic view of AI than many in the Democratic Party's left wing, but wants to shape the future of tech through regulation rather than trying to halt the development of AI — or let it run amok.
- "We have to manifest a brighter future," he said. "We're not victims. We're not bystanders. We can shape the future."
- "I also believe in guardrails and I also believe in steering the debate, which we failed to do with social media," he added. "Let's not make the same mistakes with AI."
Driving the news: Newsom's views on AI were part of a wide-ranging conversation with Axios touching on several topics that have become particularly poignant as he weighs a run for the White House:
- Newsom rejected the notion that he and former Vice President Harris, a fellow Californian, don't like each other, but acknowledged he was a bit taken aback by her taking a shot at him in her recently released book.
- He recounted bonding with former President Obama as Newsom countered President Trump's congressional redistricting scheme by pushing through a California plan that could create several new seats for Democrats.
- He continued to defend Joe Biden when many Democrats have turned away from the ex-president.
- He called Elon Musk is "one of the great disappointments" of this era for pivoting Tesla away from EVs and toward robotics.
- And he acknowledged being called "slick" bothers him, but if he were to change to satisfy critics, "then I'm fake."
Zoom in: Newsom has relationships with many tech leaders going back decades, from when he was mayor of San Francisco in the early 2000s. He praised OpenAI CEO Sam Altman as a visionary.
- "He's standing there at the base of the mountain, he can see right through it," Newsom said.
- He said tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, who has turned to the right in recent years and backed Vice President Vance, has a "next level mind" but is "increasingly more nihilistic in terms of his rhetoric."
Zoom out: The Democratic Party and its allies are in the midst of an internal battle over AI ahead of 2028.
- Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proposed legislation this week to stop construction of AI data centers until more regulation is in place.
- Other Democratic governors such as Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan have encouraged the construction of such data centers and the jobs they can bring.
- Newsom has signed regulation on AI but also vetoed a bill last year that unions and the left-wing of the party wanted to help reign in AI companies.
Between the lines: With the positioning for 2028 already underway, Newsom is trying to position himself as a progressive Democrat who's not hostile to business.
- Many tech leaders in Silicon Valley have soured on California's politics but remain friendly with Newsom.
- "He is generally a sane guy," tech entrepreneur Palmer Luckey said of Newsom in an interview with Axios. "Me and Gavin, we disagree on a lot of things. ... On the balance, he is not one of the crazy people."
- The tech industry has been spending more in recent elections as campaign finance rules have become lax.
- Tech leaders and companies are expected to dump hundreds of millions of dollars into the 2028 campaign.
