Jim VandeHei at XPONENTIAL: Why Innovators Can’t Ignore Washington

A Warning and a Call to Action for the Tech Community

At XPONENTIAL 2025, the premier global event for uncrewed systems and robotics hosted by AUVSI (Association for Uncrewed Vehicles and Systems International), Axios Co-Founder and CEO Jim VandeHei delivered a keynote that challenged industry leaders to confront the realities of political and technological convergence. The conference, held in Houston from May 19–22, brings together more than 7,500 experts and innovators from over 60 countries across the air, land, sea, and cyber domains.

VandeHei, also the co-founder and former CEO of Politico, spoke about the three major societal shifts reshaping the landscape for business, innovation, and governance: the consolidation of political power, the fragmentation of media, and the accelerating fusion of technology with government.

The Rise of Unprecedented Political Power

VandeHei described former President Donald Trump as an unprecedented political force, arguing that his grip on the Republican Party, Congress, the courts, and a powerful media ecosystem gives him unmatched influence. “He says and does whatever he wants to do,” VandeHei said, warning that those expecting predictable policy strategies misunderstand how Trump operates. Instead, decisions are often followed by retroactive logic from his political apparatus. “Accept the volatility,” he advised. “You have to deal with the world the way it is, not the way you wish it would be.”

For companies and innovators, this means navigating a highly unstable and unpredictable political environment. Democrats, he added, currently lack the power to counterbalance this influence, contributing to a deeply divided and volatile political landscape.

Information Disorder in the Age of AI

VandeHei emphasized that the information environment has changed radically. “We used to all look at the world through the same window,” he said. That window, once framed by a few trusted media outlets, has now shattered. People get their news from countless unfamiliar sources, often guided by influencers or platforms others in the room may never have heard of.

This transformation, he argued, is especially dangerous as society races toward the integration of generative AI and immersive virtual experiences. With public understanding lagging far behind technological advancement, the gap between experts and the general public is widening. “You’re committing career suicide,” VandeHei warned, “if you aren’t spending time trying to figure out how AI can be a force multiplier for what you do.”

The Fusion of Silicon Valley and Washington

Once worlds apart, the tech industry and government are now deeply interdependent, VandeHei said. “Government can’t exist without your technologies, and your technologies can’t exist without government.” He pointed to the growing relationship between Donald Trump and Elon Musk as a powerful example of this fusion. Musk’s platform X, he noted, has become “ground zero” for the rise of MAGA media.

With little political appetite for regulating technology—due to concerns about falling behind global competitors like China—VandeHei sees a near future shaped largely by private sector momentum rather than government policy. While acknowledging risks like a looming job disruption due to AI, he also suggested the U.S. could be entering a “golden era” if the tech industry helps bring manufacturing and training back to American workers.

Technologists Must Engage in Politics

Perhaps VandeHei’s strongest message was directed at the tech community’s longstanding reluctance to engage with politics. “Those days have to end,” he said. As AI and other technologies become more powerful and pervasive, the intersection of politics and innovation will only grow more critical. Policymakers need to understand the technologies shaping our world, and technologists must accept their role in shaping policy.

The message was clear: the fusion of politics, media, and technology is no longer theoretical—it’s here. And like it or not, innovators must be ready to lead in a world where the digital and real collide.

Read more:

• How U.S.-China Tariffs Could Reshape the Drone Industry (It’s Not What You Think)
• XPONENTIAL 2025: Sue Gordon, Rush Doshi Reveal What Tech Leaders Must Do to Win Now
• Michael Robbins at XPONENTIAL 2025: U.S. Drone Industry Must Lead “Uncrewed Arsenal of Democracy” to Secure National Security