Billionaire investors of the internet era are now locked in a war of words and influence to determine whether AI’s future will be one of concentrated safety, or of unfettered advancement. The stakes couldn’t be higher.

_{By Alex Konrad, Forbes Staff}

Dressed austerely in a black turtleneck and blazer despite the warm early May day, Vinod Khosla surveys the packed auditorium in the bowels of the U.S. Capitol complex before setting the stakes of the debate at hand. “Winning the race for AI means economic power, which then lets you influence social policy or ideology.”

Khosla’s next point—that China’s developing AI prowess could prove a threat to upcoming U.S. elections—resonates with the hawkish mix of congressional…