Technology and scientific innovation have the potential to dramatically improve people’s lives, strengthen our democracy, and grow the economy—but only if they are governed responsibly and transparently, and not captured by corporate power. For too long, Congress has allowed powerful technology companies and industry lobbyists to write the rules while lawmakers struggle to keep up with even basic digital systems. This failure of oversight is not accidental; it is the result of corruption, revolving doors, and a political system that prioritizes donor interests over the public good. We need modern, technologically literate leadership to ensure innovation serves people—not monopolies, surveillance states, or disinformation campaigns.

 

Artificial intelligence is one of the clearest examples. AI can deliver real public benefits, but only if it is governed with strong, enforceable guardrails. I support clear laws requiring AI-generated or digitally altered images, video, and audio to be plainly labeled so people know what they are seeing. Synthetic media should never be used to deceive voters, spread disinformation, or manipulate the public. Democracy depends on a shared reality, and allowing unchecked AI deception is a direct threat to free elections and informed consent.

 

Technology must serve people, not exploit or replace them. I support strong worker protections to ensure AI and automation augment human labor rather than simply eliminate jobs, including retraining programs, labor standards, and fair sharing of productivity gains. Too often, corporations use technology as a tool to concentrate wealth, suppress wages, and avoid accountability. Innovation should raise living standards, not hollow out the workforce. That also means protecting privacy by limiting data collection, regulating data brokers, banning unauthorized biometric surveillance, and preventing the use of technology to track, profile, or exploit people without consent. Personal data should not be treated as a limitless resource for corporate extraction.

 

Unchecked algorithms can quietly reproduce discrimination at massive scale. I support strict transparency, bias testing, and accountability requirements for AI systems used in hiring, lending, housing, healthcare, education, and law enforcement. When technology affects someone’s rights, freedom, or economic opportunity, it must be explainable, auditable, and subject to meaningful public oversight. Black-box decision-making that shields corporations or governments from responsibility has no place in a democratic society.

 

Innovation also depends on protecting creators, researchers, and the public interest. I support defending intellectual property rights and requiring consent and fair compensation when AI systems are trained on copyrighted works. Artists, writers, journalists, and other creators should not have their work stripped and monetized without permission. At the same time, I support robust public investment in science and research by fully funding institutions like the NIH, NSF, DOE, NASA, and NOAA, protecting scientific integrity from political interference, and ensuring that publicly funded research serves the public—not private monopolies.

 

Government use of technology must meet the highest standards of accountability. I support clear rules governing how public agencies deploy AI and advanced systems, including accuracy requirements, human review for high-stakes decisions, independent audits, and public reporting. I also support strong cybersecurity standards to protect hospitals, utilities, elections, and critical infrastructure from cyberattacks, as well as aggressive antitrust enforcement to rein in Big Tech monopolies that stifle competition, suppress innovation, and evade oversight through sheer market power.

 

Finally, a serious innovation agenda must invest in people and the real economy—not just financial speculation. I support STEM education, digital literacy, apprenticeships, and retraining so workers can thrive in a rapidly changing economy. I also support strengthening domestic supply chains and advanced manufacturing, including semiconductors and critical technologies, so the United States remains competitive without relying on fragile or hostile systems abroad.

 

Technology should expand freedom, improve health, protect democracy, and create shared prosperity—not become another avenue for corruption, exploitation, and concentrated power. With smart rules, strong public investment, and leadership that actually understands the systems it governs, innovation can work for everyone instead of just the few at the top.