- Joe Biden has dropped out of the 2024 U.S. Presidential race.
- The Vice President has no clear stance on crypto but is vocal about the moral and ethical risks of AI.
- Kamala Harris-themed memecoins have jumped in value as Biden-linked tokens drop.
Joe Biden has made the tough decision to step down from the U.S. presidential race, leaving Vice President Kamala Harris as the favorite to lead the democratic charge.
With her career roots in Silicon Valley, major donors from big tech organizations, a cautious approach to artificial intelligence (AI), and almost no notable views on cryptocurrency. would Harris simply be a continuation of the Joe Biden administration?
Kamala Harris on AI
As one of the most powerful emerging technologies and industries of the modern era, the politics, ethics, and morals of AI are seemingly at the center of many political discussions.
https://twitter.com/TalkyElysia/status/1815331923943682096
Vice President Kamala Harris. who leads the Biden Administration’s AI policy, has primarily discussed the risks of AI when speaking on the topic. In a 2023 speech, Harris rather seriously stated:
“I offer that we must consider and address the full spectrum of AI risk – threats to humanity as a whole, as well as threats to individuals, communities, to our institutions, and to our most vulnerable populations.”
This sentiment was carried forward just some months later when several leading AI companies pledged to create safe and secure AI technologies. She has been forthright about AI’s existential risks and is seemingly working to establish a sense of moral and ethical responsibility amongst tech leaders to mitigate these risks.
Regardless, support from big tech is rallying as tech billionaires are now pledging steadfast support for Harris as anticipation mounts around her candidacy for Democratic nominee.
Kamala Harris On Big Tech
Despite her Silicon Valley roots, Harris has been somewhat critical of big tech, noting the privacy and security concerns that became increasingly prevalent in the years following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
When questioned about whether major tech firms such as Amazon, Google, and Facebook should be broken up, Harris didn’t provide a straight answer, though reiterated her stance that her concerns rest with user and data privacy.
That said, the list of donors to Harris’ prior campaigns is a veritable who’s who of Silicon Valley elite. This includes the likes of Facebook exec Sheryl Sandberg, legendary Apple designer Jony Ive, and many others. It’s also worth noting that Harris’ brother-in-law is Tony West, Uber’s Chief Legal Officer.
Despite her big tech privacy concerns and the Biden administration banning TikTok from government devices, Harris does not support a ban on TikTok , which has been accused of being a spying device for the Chinese government.
Though oddly, according to Harris, they need to deal with the owner of the company, not the app itself, which she claims offers “very important ” benefits to users. This uncertainty and inconsistency may be seen as unstable amongst voters and market participants.
Harris on Crypto
Whils Donald Trump has been rather vocal about Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies in recent months, Kamala Harris’ views on crypto are few and far between.
According to a 2023 White House financial disclosure , the presidential hopeful does not own any crypto herself. Coupled with her deep connection to big tech donors who don’t appear to be interested in crypto, some may see Harris as simply a continuation of the Biden administration.
Naturally, this could deter pro-crypto voters from backing her if she lands the Democratic ticket, as Biden wasn’t a particularly crypto-friendly politician. That said, it is yet to be seen if cryptocurrency is a significant enough voting issue to sway the election.
