Three months ago, OpenAI cofounder Greg Brockman expressed concerns about a growing public relations crisis for artificial intelligence companies. Despite the success of tools like ChatGPT, an increasing number of people view AI negatively. Since that conversation, the backlash has only worsened.
College commencement speakers now face boos when they talk optimistically about AI. Last month, someone threw a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's San Francisco home and left a manifesto advocating violence against AI executives. No company has more at stake in this reputation crisis than OpenAI.
The person tasked with fixing it is Chris Lehane, OpenAI's chief of global affairs and a seasoned political operative. In a recent interview, Lehane discussed what he sees as his two biggest challenges: convincing the public to embrace OpenAI's technology while persuading lawmakers to adopt regulations that won't stifle the company's growth. He views these goals as connected.
"When I was in the White House, we always used to talk about how good policy equals good politics," Lehane said. "You have to think about both of these things moving in concert."
Lehane worked on crisis communications in Bill Clinton's White House, where he gave himself the nickname "master of disaster." He later helped Airbnb fend off regulators in cities that viewed short-term rentals as legally ambiguous, a situation he describes as "ahead of the law." He also played a key role in forming Fairshake, a powerful crypto industry super PAC that worked to legitimize digital currencies in Washington. Since joining OpenAI in 2024, Lehane has become one of the company's most influential executives, overseeing communications and policy teams.
The Battle Over AI Narratives
Lehane said public narratives about how AI will change society are often "artificially binary." On one side is a utopian vision he calls the "Bob Ross view of the world," where no one has to work and everyone lives in beachside homes painting watercolors. On the other is a dystopian future where a small group of elites control a powerful AI. Lehane believes neither scenario is realistic.
Lehane wants OpenAI to convey a more "calibrated" message about AI's promises, avoiding both extremes. He said the company needs to propose real solutions to problems people worry about, such as widespread job loss and the impact of chatbots on children. As an example, he pointed to a list of policy proposals OpenAI recently published, which include creating a four-day work week, expanding access to health care, and passing a tax on AI-powered labor.
"If you're going to go out and say that there are challenges here, you also then have an obligation, particularly if you're building this stuff, to actually come up with the ideas to solve those things," Lehane said.
Criticism from Former Employees
Some former OpenAI employees have accused the company of downplaying the potential downsides of AI adoption. WIRED previously reported that members of OpenAI's economic research unit quit after they became concerned it was turning into an advocacy arm for the company. The former employees said their warnings about AI's economic impacts may have been inconvenient for OpenAI, but they honestly reflected the company's own research.
Super PACs and Political Influence
As public skepticism toward AI grows, politicians feel pressure to show voters they can regulate tech companies. In response, the AI industry has launched new super PACs to support pro-AI candidates and shape public opinion. Critics say this move backfired, with some candidates now campaigning against the AI super PACs that oppose them.
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Lehane helped set up one of the biggest pro-AI super PACs, Leading the Future, which launched last summer with more than $100 million in funding commitments from tech figures including Brockman. The group has opposed Alex Bores, the author of New York's strongest AI safety law, who is running for Congress in the state's 12th district.
Brockman previously told WIRED that his and his wife's political donations to Leading the Future, as well as to President Trump's Super PAC, were inspired by OpenAI's mission to ensure AGI benefits all of humanity. He said the donations were personal but could help put pro-AI candidates in office with similar goals.
Lehane said he consulted Brockman on his recent political spending but only in "a very general way." At another point, he noted that Brockman was "really looking to prioritize good AI policy."
Lehane said he is currently "not involved" in the day-to-day operations of Leading the Future and has not shared feedback with the group since it launched. He has tried instead to "let them be their own independent outside thing." He added that OpenAI has repeatedly clarified, including in internal blog posts, that it does not directly fund any super PACs.
State-Level Policy Battles
Lehane compares OpenAI to companies that built earlier foundational utilities like railroads and electricity. Even though OpenAI has yet to prove its products are as critical as those technologies, it is already working closely with the US government.
In the absence of meaningful federal AI legislation, OpenAI is pursuing what Lehane calls "reverse federalism", lobbying states to pass AI laws that mirror one another. The goal is to "harmonize" new bills with existing laws in California and New York, preventing a patchwork of different rules across the country that Lehane argues would stifle innovation.
In practice, OpenAI has also advocated for policies that give more deference to the AI industry. The company recently supported a bill in Illinois that would allow AI labs to dodge liability if their models caused catastrophic harm, as long as the companies published safety frameworks on a public website. Tech industry groups have lobbied for such liability shields for years, arguing that only bad actors, not model developers, should be held responsible if their products are misused.
When the Illinois bill first gained attention, its sponsor called it "an initiative of OpenAI." But after widespread criticism, including from the governor of Illinois, OpenAI issued a statement saying it had never supported the liability safe harbor provision.
In the interview, Lehane suggested OpenAI's blanket support of the legislation had been an oversight. "I don't think we were explicit at all on what we were definitely for and what we were not supporting," he said. "That was on us." When asked if OpenAI was involved in drafting the bill, he said the company "certainly shared our thoughts," but insisted it simply wanted to advocate for similar AI laws to those in California and New York.
OpenAI has more recently supported a different bill in Illinois, which would be one of the strongest AI laws in the nation, requiring leading AI companies to have their safety practices audited by outside third parties. The legislation has also been endorsed by OpenAI's biggest rival, Anthropic, and passed through the Illinois Senate on Thursday.
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