OpenAI Eyes 3-State AI Rule Bloc by May 31 as It Courts Red-State Support
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · May 20
OpenAI Eyes 3-State AI Rule Bloc by May 31 as It Courts Red-State Support
1 articles · Updated · POLITICO · May 20
Summary
May 31 is OpenAI’s target for Illinois to send an AI safety bill to Gov. JB Pritzker, which would give Democratic-led Illinois, California and New York a three-state template for future regulation.
That state-by-state push is central to OpenAI lobbyist Chris Lehane’s “reverse federalism” strategy: build interoperable blue-state rules first, then use them to pressure Congress toward national standards.
Republican-led states are a harder next step, with Lehane acknowledging OpenAI will struggle to shape the patchwork without GOP buy-in and that his Democratic ties may limit his influence.
Red-state action may hinge on Washington after cybersecurity threats tied to Anthropic’s Mythos model prompted the Trump administration to weigh an executive order on advanced AI controls; Lehane said that could unlock state moves.
OpenAI is also tailoring its pitch to Republican priorities, citing support for the Kids Online Safety Act and arguing future red-state AI laws may focus more heavily on protecting children.