AI leaders face Washington criticism over public rhetoric and regulatory strategy as Anthropic and OpenAI become targets of an ongoing FTC investigation

AI industry leaders are becoming a political liability in Washington, sources close to the White House and Congress told Axios, as lawmakers and political insiders criticize their public messaging and policy approaches.

Lawmakers and insiders from both parties argued that AI founders are turning complex regulatory debates into what they called impossible moral panics by focusing on digital sentience and global catastrophes rather than building products safely. Sen. John Curtis told Axios, “It is hard to imagine a group operating more out of touch with everyday Americans than the AI industry.” Sen. Bernie Moreno criticized Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei in a letter over what he described as panic-inducing commentary, while Rep. Ro Khanna said billionaires cannot be trusted to keep the public safe.

The tensions also extend to legislative strategy and company communications. Administration officials expressed displeasure with Anthropic for not disclosing safety incidents affecting government websites before meetings with President Trump, followed by the company’s release of Friday evening blog posts. One official said Anthropic was “hiding the ball.” The company’s introduction of an AI safety bill that includes federal preemption of state laws further fueled distrust.

OpenAI’s legislative strategies and policy proposals have also drawn scrutiny. Lawmakers and state legislators argue that the company is seeking to block state regulations.

Although AI companies have tried to engage with policymakers, recent polls indicate that a majority of Americans view AI as bad for society. Anthropic and OpenAI are both targets of an ongoing Federal Trade Commission investigation. The message from Washington to AI executives, the post said, is to reduce their public commentary and focus on their core operations.