Overview
- At Harvard's Kennedy School, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez argued that powerful tech firms form new oligarchies that harm democracy and said Spain is testing tougher laws to curb their power.
- Sánchez rejected industry self-regulation and said many algorithms are built to manipulate public debate rather than serve citizens, calling for legal limits, third-party supervision and incident reporting from firms.
- He publicly dismissed OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's appeal for trust with the phrase “ni de coña,” signaling clear mistrust of tech leaders' promises.
- During an open question session students pressed Sánchez on domestic scandals — his wife's legal case, corruption probes involving allies, and alleged Pegasus surveillance tied to Morocco policy — and he denied those issues had shaped his decisions or implicated relatives.
- Spanish outlets split on the visit's meaning: some highlighted his push for international leadership on AI rules while others said the Harvard appearance refocused attention on domestic controversies that continue to shadow his government.