Lawmakers From Both Parties Tell Axios AI CEOs Have Become a Political Liability in Washington

Axios reports lawmakers and White House advisers from both parties say AI CEOs have become a 'monumental political liability' by oscillating between prosperity and doom narratives, with Rep. Ro Khanna saying 'you cannot trust billionaires to make decisions to keep us safe' and Sen. John Curtis telling Axios AI leaders are 'tripping over their own shoelaces.' Even pro-AI officials want executives to focus on building products rather than making sweeping existential pronouncements. The piece frames Sam Altman and other founders as making regulatory discussions harder by amplifying catastrophic framing.