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VP Rails About AI Excessive Regulation 02/11 06:08
PARIS (AP) -- U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday warned global leaders
and tech industry executives that "excessive regulation" could cripple the
rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry in a rebuke to European
efforts to curb AI's risks.
The speech underscored a widening, three-way rift over AI.
The United States, under President Donald Trump, champions a hands-off
approach to fuel innovation, while Europe is tightening the reins with strict
regulations to ensure safety and accountability. Meanwhile, China is rapidly
expanding AI through state-backed tech giants, vying for dominance in the
global race.
At the end of the day, the U.S. was noticeably absent from a joint statement
signed by more than 60 nations, pledging to "promote AI accessibility to reduce
digital divides" and "ensure AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe,
secure and trustworthy."
The agreement also called for "making AI sustainable for people and the
planet" and protecting "human rights, gender equality, linguistic diversity,
protection of consumers and of intellectual property rights."
In a surprise, China -- long criticized for its human rights record --
signed the declaration, leaving the U.S. as the outlier.
Vance's debut
At the summit, Vance made his first major policy speech since becoming vice
president last month, framing AI as an economic turning point but cautioning
that "at this moment, we face the extraordinary prospect of a new industrial
revolution, one on par with the invention of the steam engine."
"But it will never come to pass if overregulation deters innovators from
taking the risks necessary to advance the ball," Vance added.
The 40-year-old vice president, leveraging the AI summit and a security
conference in Munich later this week, is seeking to project Trump's forceful
new style of diplomacy.
The Trump administration will "ensure that AI systems developed in America
are free from ideological bias," Vance said and pledged the U.S. would "never
restrict our citizens' right to free speech."
A growing divide
Vance also took aim at foreign governments for "tightening the screws" on
U.S. tech firms, saying such moves were troubling. His remarks underscored the
growing divide between Washington and its European allies on AI governance.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that, "AI needs
the confidence of the people and has to be safe" and detailed EU guidelines
intended to standardize the bloc's AI Act but acknowledged concerns over
regulatory burden.
"At the same time, I know that we have to make it easier and we have to cut
red tape and we will," she added.
She also announced that the "InvestAI" initiative had reached a total of
200 billion in AI investments across Europe, including 20 billion
dedicated to AI gigafactories.
A race for AI dominance
The summit laid bare competing global AI strategies -- Europe pushing to
regulate and invest, China is expanding AI through state-backed giants, and the
U.S. is doubling down on an unregulated free-market approach.
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, special envoy of Xi Jinping, underscored
Beijing's intent to shape global AI standards at the summit.
Vance, a vocal critic of European content moderation policies, has suggested
the U.S. should reconsider its NATO commitments if European governments impose
restrictions on Elon Musk's social media platform, X. His Paris visit was also
expected to include candid discussions on Ukraine, AI's role in global power
shifts, and U.S.-China tensions.
How to regulate AI?
Concerns over AI's potential dangers have loomed over the summit,
particularly as nations grapple with how to regulate a technology that is
increasingly entwined with defense and warfare.
"I think one day we will have to find ways to control AI or else we will
lose control of everything," said Admiral Pierre Vandier, NATO's commander who
oversees the alliance's modernization efforts.
Beyond diplomatic tensions, a global public-private partnership is being
launched called "Current AI," aimed at supporting large-scale AI initiatives
for the public good.
Analysts see this as an opportunity to counterbalance the dominance of
private companies in AI development. However, it remains unclear whether the
U.S. will support such efforts.
Separately, a high-stakes battle over AI power is escalating in the private
sector.
A group of investors led by Musk -- who now heads Trump's Department of
Government Efficiency -- has made a $97.4 billion bid to acquire the nonprofit
behind OpenAI. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, attending the Paris summit, swiftly
rejected the offer on X.
The US-China rivalry
In Beijing, officials on Monday condemned Western efforts to restrict access
to AI tools, while Chinese company DeepSeek's new AI chatbot has prompted calls
in the U.S. Congress to limit its use over security concerns. China promotes
open-source AI, arguing that accessibility will ensure global AI benefits.
French organizers hope the summit will boost investment in Europe's AI
sector, positioning the region as a credible contender in an industry shaped by
U.S.-China competition.
French President Emmanuel Macron, addressing the energy demands of AI,
contrasted France's nuclear-powered approach with the U.S.'s reliance on fossil
fuels, quipping: France won't "drill, baby, drill," but "plug, baby, plug."
Vance's diplomatic tour will continue in Germany, where he will attend the
Munich Security Conference and press European allies to increase commitments to
NATO and Ukraine. He may also meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Talking Ukraine and Middle East with Macron
Vance will discuss Ukraine and the Middle East over a working lunch with
Macron.
Like Trump, he has questioned U.S. aid to Kyiv and the broader Western
strategy toward Russia. Trump has pledged to end the war in Ukraine within six
months of taking office.
Vance is also set to meet separately with Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
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