WASHINGTON, D.C. – Vice President Kamala Harris wouldn’t be able to effectively run the White House’s response to artificial intelligence if she’s charged with leading it, some residents of the nation’s capital told Fox News.
‘I don’t know if Kamala Harris has the background and the tech knowledge to really get a grasp on what AI can do and what its capabilities are, to be able to wrangle it in a space that is safe for everyone and not just beneficial for large corporations,’ Eric told Fox News.
But another D.C. local, Marlena, said: ‘I definitely trust her on the task force. She’s a brilliant woman, extraordinarily accomplished.’
She was the only person Fox News interviewed who had faith in Harris’ ability to handle the White House’s AI response.
AMERICANS SOUND OFF ON WHETHER KAMALA HARRIS CAN LEAD WHITE HOUSE’S AI PUSH:
Harris met with the top executives from OpenAI, Microsoft and Alphabet earlier this month to discuss AI-related risks and opportunities. Afterward, the vice president faced criticism from Elon Musk and others who questioned her expertise in the field.
‘Maybe someone who can fix their own WiFi router wouldn’t be too much to ask,’ Musk tweeted about Harris’ potential role.
Several D.C. residents echoed similar sentiments.
‘I’m not sure I trust Kamala Harris to run point, but I certainly hope that she gets the job done,’ Devonne said.
Jo said Harris should ‘absolutely not’ lead the White House’s AI response ‘because I don’t believe she’s done a good job at all as vice president.’
Others said it would take an industry expert — or a panel of them — to regulate AI.
‘I don’t know if putting one person who may or may not possess that particular expertise in charge is a great idea,’ John told Fox News. ‘That takes real specialized knowledge and there’s so many different ethical considerations, all sorts of various things.’
Others said they can’t trust Harris to excel in AI since they haven’t seen her succeed in other areas.
‘I would say no because I have no knowledge of what her track record is at this point of anything,’ Keisha told Fox News.
Another man said: ‘No, because we have not seen her do anything at all.’
To watch the full interviews, click here.
Ramiro Vargas contributed to the accompanying video.
Jon Michael Raasch is an associate producer/writer with Fox News Digital Originals.
