Yet we don't regulate computers so that they're rendered incapable of running software that can be used to hack into systems. Or said software, by the way. All we do is punish the people who use these tools to cause harm to others.

AI is much more comparable to that than to a car.

Is that right? You can't even sell software built to break copy protection. Can you legally sell software made to harm others?

You can still run someone over with a car. The analogy doesn't require absolute lack of capability to do harm.