Sources: US lawmakers from both parties say AI executives are out of touch, urge them to talk less and do more

October 24: According to Axios, people familiar with the matter said US political figures believe leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) are gradually becoming a political liability. Lawmakers from both parties, congressional staffers and Washington political figures all hope that AI founders can, like the heads of other large industries, talk less and do more — focusing on developing products while ensuring safety. AI industry leaders' extensive talk of digital consciousness and global catastrophe has turned an already intricate regulatory debate into an almost unresolvable moral panic. AI industry leaders have not actively promoted to the American public the benefits of AI and the shared prosperity the technology is expected to bring — precisely the core element of any successful political campaign. Instead, they keep warning of the existential threats AI may bring.

Lawmakers said the message AI executives deliver often swings back and forth between the promise of prosperity and doomsday crisis, sometimes sending both signals at the same public event. Lawmakers and regulators pointed out that this sharp contrast has worsened the instability of the political situation, and public backlash against the AI industry, already strong, has further heated up as a result.