AI Industry Hires Obama Press Secretary to Court Democrats

The artificial intelligence industry has recruited a prominent Democratic operative to rebuild relationships with party leaders just as states move to regulate the technology—and the hire brings a track record of weakening the very kind of protections now taking shape.

Jay Carney, who served as White House press secretary under President Barack Obama, has joined venture firm SV Angel to lead Project Blueprint, an initiative aimed at strengthening ties between AI companies and Democratic policymakers, according to reporting first published by The New York Times and analyzed by Uprise RI.

The appointment is notable for what Carney did immediately before: spending years as Amazon's senior vice president for global corporate affairs, where he oversaw efforts that a 2021 Reuters investigation found had killed or weakened privacy legislation in more than three dozen bills across 25 states.

The Amazon playbook

Reuters' investigation, based on hundreds of internal documents and interviews with over 70 sources, revealed that Carney reported directly to founder Jeff Bezos and was listed in a 2018 internal document as the "primary owner" of corporate goals to change or block U.S. and European regulations affecting Alexa-powered devices—including restrictions on AI, biometrics, and consumer data disclosures.

During his tenure from 2015 onward, Amazon's state lobbying presence expanded from at least 62 lobbyists in 27 states in 2014 to at least 180 lobbyists in 44 states by 2020.

The Washington state case illustrates the approach. When legislators drafted a biometric privacy law in 2017, Amazon and other companies secured exemptions covering voice recordings, fingerprints, and face scans. An internal Amazon assessment concluded the resulting law would have "little, if any" direct impact on company practices.

Amazon disputed the investigation's characterization at the time, saying it opposed "poorly crafted" state bills while supporting federal legislation with transparency requirements and consumer rights.

Why it matters

Rhode Island's Data Transparency and Privacy Protection Act took effect January 1, establishing consumer rights and controller obligations for companies processing data from at least 35,000 customers. The state's Attorney General has also issued an advance notice of rulemaking on AI used in hiring, housing, health care, and education—exactly the domains where industry influence operations typically focus.

The timing of Carney's appointment reflects a broader pattern. Popular Information reported that AI executives and corporations donated $42 million to MAGA Inc., the super PAC aligned with President Trump, during the 2026 cycle. Project Blueprint represents the Democratic counterpart—not campaign contributions but relationship-building through a familiar face.

The national framework push

Major AI companies are now publicly advocating for regulation, but with a specific structure. OpenAI supports mandatory national, capability-based safety requirements while warning that fragmented state laws could burden developers. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has called for regulation covering all U.S. frontier AI companies, with embedded third-party evaluators and even a narrow antitrust waiver to allow safety coordination.

Both proposals favor national frameworks over state-by-state rules—the same preference Amazon maintained throughout Carney's tenure. Whether this convergence serves public interest or incumbent advantage remains the central question for policymakers.

Rhode Island's proposed Artificial Intelligence Act, introduced in March 2025, would have required impact assessments and risk-management programs for high-risk AI systems. The bill did not become law, leaving the Attorney General's rulemaking process as the primary regulatory vehicle—and a potential target for the kind of influence operation Carney now leads.

Details of Project Blueprint remain sparse. SV Angel, which has invested in Google, Meta, and other major tech companies, has not publicly announced the initiative. The project's funding, participating companies, and Carney's compensation are not disclosed.

Uprise RI first reported these details and their Rhode Island implications.