After helping President Trump get elected, Elon Musk was poised to dominate the country’s A.I. policies. Then Mr. Altman sneaked into the White House.

The federal law banning TikTok has revealed a major schism among American tech companies: Some are willing to flout the law — and some, including Apple and Google, are not.

The tech industry is fighting new regulations, expected soon, that aim to keep the cutting-edge technology in the United States and allied countries.