Pedro Sánchez faces questions on corruption during Harvard lecture on artificial intelligence

Address at the Kennedy School

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez concluded his United States tour on Thursday, 24 September 2026, with an appearance at Harvard University in the Greater Boston area. Speaking at the Kennedy School of Government under the title "Techno-oligarchy threatens democracy," Sánchez argued that leading artificial intelligence developers risk concentrating power and eroding democratic institutions. He stated that algorithms are being built to enslave rather than serve citizens, urging students to reject corporate arguments favoring self-regulation. Sánchez described Spain as an active testing ground for regulatory measures to constrain tech conglomerates. During his address, he urged the academic audience to challenge corporate narratives regarding the inevitability of uncontrolled technological growth.

You are crucial actors in this fight, so please do not let this large corporation dazzle you with its money, its false promises of universal prosperity, and its catastrophic speeches. Do not believe them when they say that this technology is too complex, too fast, too global, or too valuable to be controlled. Every generation of tycoons has used the same argument, and all of them ended up being defeated by the same force: the will of the people.

Domestic scandals dominate the question session

The intended focus on artificial intelligence shifted when the session opened to audience questions. A third-year student and artificial intelligence security researcher named Peter challenged Sánchez directly regarding corruption allegations surrounding his administration and family. The student asked for explanations concerning judicial inquiries into the prime minister's wife, Begoña Gómez, alongside investigations into his brother and former administration figures. Sánchez defended his public record while addressing the personal toll of allegations directed at his relatives. He acknowledged that past corruption cases involving his political party were real and had caused damage, but insisted that accusations targeting his wife and brother represented baseless political attacks.

Being prime minister or a politician is rewarding because you can do many things for your country, and I am proud to say that I did many things for my country, and the results, evidence, and facts are there. But suffering these personal attacks is very difficult to accept, very difficult to accept. And it is much more difficult because a young student like you already condemns them. You say that my brother and my wife are guilty, and that is not fair because they are not.

Foreign policy, Pegasus, and Ceuta

The exchange also broadened into contentious foreign policy matters. One student questioned Sánchez regarding the 2021 migration crisis in Ceuta and the Spanish government's subsequent shift in position regarding Western Sahara and Morocco. The student questioned whether that diplomatic change was connected to the Pegasus spyware infection found on the prime minister's mobile phone. Sánchez responded that his phone was indeed hacked using Pegasus, adding that the matter was submitted to the Audiencia Nacional and remained under investigation without a confirmed perpetrator. Additional questions during the discussion touched on Spanish relations with Venezuela.

Context of the United States tour

The Harvard appearance marked the conclusion of a trip that included three days in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. In New York, Sánchez had delivered an address defending multilateral institutions and met with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He also opted not to attend a reception hosted by Donald Trump for visiting heads of delegation. The Boston engagement, intended to emphasize progressive leadership in global technology regulation, concluded his United States schedule following scrutiny over domestic legal and political controversies.