Vice President JD Vance delivered a strong message at an international AI summit in Paris on Tuesday, warning European allies against imposing stringent regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) that could hinder U.S. ambitions to remain the global leader in the field.
“The United States of America is the leader in AI, and our administration plans to keep it that way,” Vance declared. He emphasized the need for international regulations that foster AI innovation, rather than stifling it.
In his first international address since taking office, Vance made it clear that while the U.S. is open to collaboration on AI with other nations, it would not tolerate restrictions on American tech companies, which could impede the country’s progress in AI development. He expressed concerns over reports that foreign governments were considering tightening regulations on U.S. tech firms operating internationally. “America cannot and will not accept that,” he asserted.
The Trump administration has prioritized maintaining AI dominance, with President Trump recently announcing the Stargate project—a joint venture to invest billions in AI infrastructure in the U.S.
Vance also voiced his concerns about “ideological bias” in AI and criticized European Union efforts to implement rules that target harmful or misleading online content. “We want to ensure the internet is a safe place, but it is one thing to prevent a predator from preying on a child, and quite another to prevent someone from accessing an opinion that the government deems misinformation,” he argued.
Tensions between the U.S. and Europe over AI regulation became evident shortly after Vance’s speech, as the U.S. declined to sign a joint statement led by France and supported by about 60 other countries. The statement called for an “inclusive and sustainable” approach to AI, but the White House did not offer an explanation for its decision not to sign.
The summit, which also included Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, came just weeks after a Chinese AI startup, DeepSeek, made headlines by unveiling a sophisticated AI model at a fraction of the cost of its U.S. counterparts. While Vance did not directly reference China, he warned about the dangers of authoritarian regimes using AI to enhance military and surveillance capabilities. He cautioned European countries against partnering with such regimes, stating that such alliances could lead to compromised national security.
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at the summit, acknowledged the need for cooperation between the U.S. and China on AI but also highlighted France’s advantages for AI development, citing its nuclear power infrastructure, which could support energy-intensive data centers.
Macron also joked about the contrasting energy policies, referencing President Trump’s famous “Drill, baby, drill” slogan, while France focuses on “Plug, baby, plug” due to its abundant electricity supply.
The summit was not intended to draft an international regulatory framework but to identify areas of collaboration and common goals in AI development. Anne Bouverot, Macron’s special envoy, explained that the goal was to establish principles and objectives for AI rather than discussing rules and regulations.
Several prominent U.S. tech executives, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, attended the summit. Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, emphasized the importance of Western democracies leading AI development to stay ahead of authoritarian states. He advocated for closer partnerships between the U.S., Europe, and other democratic nations to ensure the future of AI remains in democratic hands.
