America faces a critical juncture in the AI race, where public support is essential for success. A recent Meta legal agreement, settling for up to $18 billion with 48 US states and Washington DC, highlights the consequences of deploying transformative technology without public trust. As AI becomes embedded in daily life, anxieties are crossing political divides, evidenced by growing scepticism and protests against data centres.

The article argues that the US must avoid the mistakes made with social media by establishing a national dialogue on AI. Costa Rica pioneered this model in 2025, and Iceland will follow this autumn. The UN also hosted a Global Dialogue on AI Governance in 2026.

To be effective, the White House and Congress should launch a bipartisan, one-year National Dialogue on AI, overseen by an independent commission representing politics, tech, business, and labour. This process must engage diverse American society to produce a national AI roadmap, translating consensus into actionable legislation with clear deadlines. Despite concerns that AI is too complex or fast-moving for public input, a well-designed dialogue would provide Silicon Valley and the government with legitimacy and predictability, replacing ad hoc regulations.

The dialogue is vital to ensure technology serves the public good, not just corporate interests.