The 2024 US presidential election has had more than its share of surprises, including President Biden’s latest decision to withdraw. As of this writing, Kamala Harris is the leading candidate to replace him as the Democratic nominee, so we decided to take a look at her past views on technology.
Silicon Valley has historically been seen as more liberal-leaning. This year, some of tech’s biggest names—including Marc Andreeson, Ben Horowitz, and Elon Musk—have publicly stated that they will support Trump because of his planned tech agenda, which is believed to include cutting taxes and deregulating industries.
Harris is well-known in Silicon Valley. She was a San Francisco prosecutor, the attorney general of California, and a U.S. senator representing California before becoming Biden’s VP. While we don’t know what her agenda will be for tech, here is a look back at how she has worked with the tech industry in the past:
AI: Biden appointed Harris as the AI Czar in 2023. She believes companies have an obligation to protect AI from becoming dangerous and has supported voluntary commitments from companies as one step towards a safer future. She has also stated that it’s a “false choice” to only consider AI regulation to protect the public versus advancing innovation.
Big Tech: Her earlier campaigns relied on donations from Silicon Valley and she did not intervene in big tech during that time, receiving some criticism as a result. While she has previously opposed breaking up big tech companies, she has supported some regulations to protect Americans’ privacy.
TikTok: Harris has opposed a TikTok ban, stating the importance of the free flow of information it provides and the many people who rely on it for income.
Crypto: While Biden has criticized crypto, Harris has not had strong public opinions for or against it. That will likely change in the coming weeks.
As the Democratic National Convention in August approaches, we can expect to see more details on Harris’ proposed tech agenda and how the Trump campaign may counter what she announces.
Stay tuned – more surprises in this chaotic election are sure to come!
