Only 26% of US voters have a positive view of artificial intelligence, according to April 2026 polling data shared by OpenAI’s top policy executive.
Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, is the person tasked with fixing it. His approach borrows heavily from a playbook he refined during years in political crisis management: control the narrative at the local level before the federal government can impose its own version from the top down.
The reverse federalism gambit
Lehane’s core strategy has a name: “reverse federalism.” The idea is straightforward. Instead of waiting for Congress to pass sweeping AI legislation, which could be restrictive enough to slow OpenAI’s growth trajectory, Lehane is pushing for state-level AI safety laws that set a more industry-friendly baseline.
The target states are the ones that matter most. Illinois, California, and New York are all in play, each with active legislative efforts around AI governance.
