In his farewell address to the nation on Wednesday night, President Joe Biden issued stark warnings about the concentration of power in America’s technology sector and the critical importance of artificial intelligence leadership in the global arena. The outgoing president, concluding a 50-year political career, used his final major speech to highlight what he sees as emerging threats to American democracy and security.
Biden expressed deep concern about “the potential rise of a tech industrial complex” that could pose real dangers for the United States, citing a dangerous “concentration of technology, power, and wealth.” He warned that Americans are “being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation,” referencing recent moves by companies like Meta to abandon third-party fact-checking programs. “The free press is crumbling, editors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact checking,” Biden stated, adding that “the truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit.”
On artificial intelligence specifically, Biden struck a balanced but cautious tone, acknowledging both the opportunities and risks the technology presents. “AI could spawn new threats to our rights, our way of life, to our privacy, how we work and how we protect our nation,” he warned, emphasizing the critical need for safeguards. The president stressed that AI must be “safe and trustworthy and good for all humankind.”
Crucially, Biden framed AI development as a geopolitical competition with China, declaring: “As the land of liberty, America, not China, must lead the world of the development of AI.” This statement underscores the administration’s view that AI leadership is not just about technological advancement but about preserving democratic values and national security interests.
The farewell address came just one day after Biden signed an executive order to accelerate AI infrastructure projects in the United States. Earlier in the week, he also announced new semiconductor chip rules designed to advance AI development in US-allied countries while countering China’s technological ambitions. These last-minute policy moves demonstrate the administration’s commitment to establishing guardrails and strategic advantages in AI before the transition of power.
Beyond technology concerns, Biden also addressed the Gaza cease-fire agreement announced earlier Wednesday and emphasized the importance of American institutions and democracy as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on January 20.
Key Quotes
Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.
President Biden warned about concentrated power among ultra-wealthy individuals and tech companies, framing it as an existential threat to American democracy and setting the stage for his concerns about the tech-industrial complex.
AI could spawn new threats to our rights, our way of life, to our privacy, how we work and how we protect our nation. We must make sure AI is safe and trustworthy and good for all humankind.
Biden articulated the dual nature of AI as both opportunity and threat, emphasizing the urgent need for safeguards to protect fundamental rights and security while harnessing the technology’s benefits.
As the land of liberty, America, not China, must lead the world of the development of AI.
The president explicitly framed AI development as a geopolitical competition with China, linking technological leadership to democratic values and suggesting that who controls AI will shape global governance and human rights.
Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power. The free press is crumbling, editors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact checking.
Biden connected his tech-industrial complex warnings to the information ecosystem, appearing to reference Meta’s recent decision to move away from third-party fact-checkers and highlighting concerns about AI’s role in content moderation.
Our Take
Biden’s farewell address represents a remarkable evolution in presidential rhetoric about technology. By invoking Eisenhower’s famous warning about the military-industrial complex, Biden is attempting to create a similar cultural touchstone for the tech era. What’s particularly notable is how he’s intertwining concerns about oligarchy, misinformation, and AI into a coherent narrative about threats to democracy.
The China framing is especially consequential—it transforms AI from a purely technical or economic issue into a matter of national identity and values competition. This rhetoric, combined with his last-minute chip rules and infrastructure orders, suggests Biden is trying to establish a policy framework that will be difficult for Trump to dismantle. However, the incoming administration’s relationship with tech leaders like Elon Musk may create a very different dynamic. Biden’s warnings may prove prescient or may be seen as the concerns of an outgoing administration. Either way, they’ve elevated AI governance to the highest levels of political discourse.
Why This Matters
Biden’s farewell warnings about AI and the tech-industrial complex represent a defining moment in how political leaders frame the challenges posed by rapidly advancing technology. By explicitly positioning AI development as a competition between democratic and authoritarian values—specifically between the US and China—Biden is cementing a bipartisan consensus that will likely shape policy for years to come.
The timing is particularly significant as these warnings come alongside concrete policy actions including new chip export controls and AI infrastructure initiatives, suggesting the outgoing administration is attempting to lock in strategic advantages and regulatory frameworks before the transition. This creates both opportunities and constraints for the incoming Trump administration.
For the AI industry, Biden’s speech signals that increased scrutiny and regulation are inevitable regardless of which party controls the White House. His concerns about misinformation, privacy, and concentrated power reflect growing public anxiety about Big Tech’s influence. Companies developing AI systems should expect continued pressure to demonstrate safety, transparency, and alignment with democratic values, while also navigating an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape where technology choices have national security implications.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-warns-tech-industrial-complex-ai-china-farewell-address-2025-1