JD Vance rails against 'excessive regulation' of AI at Paris summit

[February 11, 2025]  By AAMER MADHANI and THOMAS ADAMSON

PARIS (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday warned global leaders and tech industry executives that “excessive regulation” in the artificial intelligence industry will kill the rapidly growing industry just as it’s taking off.

Vance, making his first major policy speech since becoming vice president last month, said the Trump administration will “ensure that AI systems developed in America are free from ideological bias,” and that the United States would “never restrict our citizens’ right to free speech.”

He also said the Trump administration is troubled that some foreign governments are considering “tightening the screws” on U.S. tech companies with international footprints.

“Now, at this moment, we face the extraordinary prospect of a new industrial revolution, one on par with the invention of the steam engine,″ Vance said. ’’But it will never come to pass. If overregulation deters innovators from taking the risks necessary to advance the ball.″

Vance's address challenged Europe’s regulatory approach to artificial intelligence and its moderation of content on Big Tech platforms, underscoring divergence between the United States and its allies on AI governance.

With the global public both excited and worried about the power of AI, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that, “AI needs the confidence of the people and has to be safe.''

She mentioned EU guidelines intended to standardize how the bloc's AI Act is applied across the 27-nation bloc. “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.

Von der Leyen announced that the so-called “InvestAI” initiative reached a total of 200 billion euros in investments in Europe, including a new fund of 20 billion euros for AI gigafactories.

The summit has drawn world leaders, top tech executives, and policymakers to debate AI’s impact on security, economics, and governance.

A three-way race for AI dominance

The differences were openly displayed at the summit: Europe seeks to regulate and invest, China expands access through state-backed tech giants, and the U.S., under President Donald Trump, champions a hands-off approach.

Among the high-profile attendees is Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, special envoy of Xi Jinping, reflecting Beijing’s interest in shaping global AI standards.

Vance has been an outspoken critic of European content moderation policies. He 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 is 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.

United States Vice-President JD Vance, center, is welcomed by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, left, and French businesswoman Clara Chappaz at the Grand Palais during the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

"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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Associated Press writers Sylvie Corbet and Kelvin Chan in Paris contributed to this report.

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