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The Silicon Valley power broker taps a former White House press secretary to shape the next phase of US artificial intelligence policy
Ron Conway, one of Silicon Valley’s most connected venture capitalists, has appointed Jay Carney to lead a new AI policy center. The move pairs a prolific tech investor with a seasoned Washington operator at a moment when AI regulation is arguably the most consequential policy debate in American technology.
Conway, co-founder of SV Angel and an early backer of companies like Google and Facebook, has spent the last several years building political infrastructure around artificial intelligence. Carney, who served as White House Press Secretary under President Obama and most recently held the role of Global Head of Policy and Communications at Airbnb, brings a rare combination of government fluency and corporate strategy to the position.
Conway’s escalating AI policy push #
Back in 2023, Conway organized a meeting with executives from OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft to discuss responsible AI standards and public policy frameworks. Then in August 2025, Conway helped launch “Leading the Future,” or LTF, a political initiative designed to promote US leadership in artificial intelligence. The effort came with serious financial backing, exceeding $100 million in initial funding from investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Joe Lonsdale.
Why Carney fits the role #
Jay Carney served as White House Press Secretary from February 2011 to June 2014. After leaving the White House, Carney moved to Amazon, where he ran the company’s global corporate affairs. He then joined Airbnb in 2022 as Global Head of Policy and Communications, navigating a complex web of local, state, and international regulations that govern the short-term rental industry.
The AI policy landscape is getting crowded #
AI policy in the United States has become a patchwork of state-level efforts, federal proposals, and industry coalitions, each pulling in slightly different directions. Some states have moved aggressively to regulate AI applications in areas like hiring and law enforcement. At the federal level, multiple congressional committees have held hearings and drafted frameworks, but comprehensive legislation remains elusive.
Conway’s 2023 convening of AI executives was framed explicitly around “responsible” standards, and LTF’s branding focused on US competitiveness, a framing that tends to attract bipartisan support.
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