Staff Reports
Janet Kelly, CEO of the Alliance for a Better Future, took the stage at Breitbart News’s “State of the Economy” policy event this week and handed conservatives a clear, optimistic pitch on artificial intelligence. In a plainspoken interview with Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle, she argued AI will grow the economy, create new work, and must be governed by common-sense rules that protect children, workers, and our way of life.
Kelly’s Message: The Pie Gets Larger
Kelly said the right way to talk about AI is: it isn’t a zero-sum game. “The pie gets larger,” she told the audience. That’s an important point. Too many on the left treat new tech like a threat to be feared instead of a tool to be harnessed. Kelly used real, upbeat examples — a 78-year-old taking an AI certificate and a new college grad building useful dashboards in an hour — to show how Americans can pivot into the new economy. Conservatives should like that: opportunity, not hand-wringing.
Trust and Human Dignity Should Drive Policy
Kelly pushed hard on trust. She noted only a small share of Americans currently trust AI and said we must build “trustworthy” systems that protect human dignity. That’s not woke-speak; it’s common sense. Companies must be honest about what their models do. Regulators should focus on clear, narrow rules that guard children and workers, not a broad ban that lets foreign adversaries race ahead while we tinker with think pieces.
China Isn’t Playing Fair — We Must Wake Up
On the geopolitical front, Kelly was blunt: China “will cheat and steal and lie” to win AI dominance. Say what you want about the diplomacy crowd, but that bluntness is the reality check America needs. If we want American AI that reflects American values, we must invest in domestic research, build secure data centers, and keep talent here. The alternative is handing the future to regimes that don’t share our values or our freedoms.
What Conservatives Should Push For
Practical Steps to Win the AI Future
Kelly’s remarks point to a straightforward conservative agenda: train workers with real certifications, incentivize private investment in AI infrastructure, demand transparency from tech firms, and set targeted guardrails that protect kids and civil liberties. No, that isn’t magical. Yes, it is practical. We can promote innovation without surrendering safety. If Republicans want to lead, they should adopt Kelly’s tone — bullish on American ingenuity, tough on China, and smart about rules that actually help people get ahead.
