President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris has upended the race and shifted the policy and strategic dynamics, pitting a younger Democrat against an older Republican, a woman of color against a white man, and a former California prosecutor against a New York/Florida billionaire.
In this blog, we compare how President Harris and re-elected President Trump differ on key technology policy issues, specifically comparing their positions on Biden’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Executive Order, antitrust enforcement, tax, racial/gender bias, cryptocurrency regulation, and digital equity. There are significant gaps in how each leader will address these pressing technology issues and what they will do to shape the future of digital technology.
Biden’s AI Executive Order
One of the hallmarks of Biden’s technology policy was an ambitious executive order calling for increased public oversight and regulation of AI. AI is the transformative technology of our time, with deployments in nearly every sector. To that end, President Biden issued an executive order calling on all federal agencies to consider the impact of AI in their sectors and the steps they can take to address the issue. Biden gave agencies several months to review their use and oversight of AI, with deliverables due by December 2024.
While former President Trump’s policies aimed at repealing the executive order, President Harris is likely to maintain it. In general, Trump has supported deregulation of AI and other emerging technologies. During his first term, there was little news about AI regulation.
In contrast, Harris understands that AI is transforming communication and service delivery, and she understands the need for public oversight. She would likely urge Congress to extend Biden’s executive order and enact legislation to strengthen protections to promote consumer privacy, cybersecurity, and human safety. She might also use federal procurement authority to encourage agencies to provide appropriate guardrails for their use of AI.
Antitrust Enforcement
Harris is likely to continue Biden’s tough antitrust enforcement. She has repeatedly spoken about the need to curb inflation and improve economic opportunity for all Americans. The administration has gone after the big platforms because it believes they are abusing their strong market position and engaging in predatory practices that harm consumers and make it harder for people to buy the goods they need.
Trump will likely be less enthusiastic about antitrust enforcement than Biden or Harris. He may continue current tech industry antitrust enforcement cases, but he would likely give the green light to tech industry mergers and acquisitions. Given his business background, Trump is generally sympathetic to the business world and is unlikely to appoint strong enforcers to the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, or the Federal Communications Commission. This was the case during his first term as president and is likely to continue if he wins another term as CEO.
Tax on tech billionaires
President Trump has indicated he wants to further reduce income and corporate taxes by extending the 2017 tax cuts that are set to expire in 2025. Although a significant portion of previous tax cuts have been directed at wealthy individuals and corporations, President Trump’s tax cut plan is likely to continue this trend and move tax cuts in that direction.
Harris is likely to continue Biden’s plan to avoid raising income taxes on people making less than $400,000 a year, but like Biden, she wants to raise taxes on the super-rich because they need to pay their fair share. These tax increases would help pay for needed services for the less fortunate.
Racial/gender bias
There are well-documented racial and gender biases in AI that need to be taken seriously. Trump has no track record of supporting strong debiasing efforts, especially against racial bias, nor does he have a track record of appointing regulators who will take tough action in these areas. He has made many questionable claims in this area, most recently in the last debate when he used the phrase “black hires” that no one has yet figured out what he meant. In fact, he is part of a group of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)-focused critics who have condemned race-based preferential treatment in college admissions as no longer justified.
Harris, by contrast, has a track record of combating racial and gender bias and supporting effective enforcement action against those who violate fundamental rights. She has fought for anti-discrimination efforts in housing and wealth creation, and has been vocal about the importance of effective government efforts. She is likely to continue to focus on these issues as she develops a more pro-consumer tech policy agenda.
Cryptocurrency Regulation
The two candidates have very different views on cryptocurrency regulation. Trump has previously supported strict regulation of cryptocurrencies, but has recently softened his stance and advocated for a more relaxed approach. His view seems to be that cryptocurrencies are an innovation that will take time to materialize and do not require strict oversight at this time.
Unlike her Republican opponent, Harris has taken a tougher stance on cryptocurrency regulation. She believes consumers need adequate protection and that there should be more transparency in the cryptocurrency market. Her administration picks have already called for tougher SEC enforcement of cryptocurrency companies.
Digital Equity
In her new book, Digitally Invisible: How the Internet is Creating a New Underclass, Nicole Turner Lee argues that who is in power often determines the scope of national technology policy, especially when it comes to benefits to industries and communities. Under Trump, the administration has reversed every Obama administration policy, from data privacy to school internet connectivity, including a policy to connect every school in the country to the internet. But Trump has also pushed for a more robust 5G wireless infrastructure, especially in rural communities.
The Biden-Harris Administration is allocating the largest amount of funding of any administration to national broadband infrastructure, with federal agencies working hard to secure funding to get state-approved projects started. History shows that Trump will try to stop all of these programs and defund them, but Harris will be committed to bringing broadband to every community.
With more than three months until the election, it’s too early to tell how the candidates will fare, but if Harris wins the Democratic nomination, she is expected to continue many of the Biden administration’s technology policies and maintain them as president if she wins.
