Raimondo on AI: 'You're not going to beat China if you have destabilizing unemployment' - POLITICO

The United States will lose the artificial intelligence race with China if companies allow the powerful technology to upend the American economy, former Biden Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Wednesday. 

“People say all the time, ‘We have to beat China.’ Sign me up for that mission. I want to beat China too,” Raimondo, a Democratic former Rhode Island governor, said during POLITICO’s Decoded Summit in Washington. “You’re not going to beat China if you have destabilizing unemployment. That is a weaker America which will lead to regulations.”…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/16/raimondo-on-ai-youre-not-going-to-beat-china-if-you-have-destabilizing-unemployment-01078972

Commerce Secretary Refutes Notion That Unemployment Relief Impedes Job Growth | Talking Points Memo

… "But if you look nationally, wages aren't going up. People are still telling us the number one reason they're not going back to work is fear due to the virus. And more people were looking for work last month than the month before," Raimondo said. "So we are — I am engaged with businesses constantly listening, monitoring. But at the moment, it doesn't seem to be that that's the major impediment."

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/commerce-secretary-raimondo-unemployment-relief-job-growth