AI bigger than internet, US must maintain lead over China, says Trump
Washington, July 30
President Donald Trump has said artificial intelligence would have a greater impact than the internet and stressed that the United States must maintain its lead over China while carefully weighing the need for regulation of the fast-evolving technology.
Trump said his administration was examining possible safeguards for AI development but warned against imposing restrictions that could undermine America's competitive advantage.
"We're looking at AI. We're looking at controls," Trump told reporters on Wednesday (local time) in response to a question about stronger regulation of artificial intelligence.
"We're also making sure that we lead. So, we're leading China in AI by a lot."
Trump said China was pursuing AI development with few regulatory constraints, making it essential for the United States to strike the right balance between oversight and innovation.
"China has virtually no controls; it's freewheeling a little bit. So, we have to be careful in both ways."
He cautioned that excessive regulation could hand a strategic advantage to Beijing.
"We don't want to restrict them where all of a sudden, we come in second to China."
The President described AI as a transformational technology whose significance would surpass previous technological revolutions.
"Whoever wins with AI is going to win, that's how big it is."
"So, it's bigger than the internet ever was; it's bigger than anything ever was."
Trump also made clear that he wanted American technology companies to continue advancing without unnecessary government intervention.
"So, I don't want to restrict -- I know many of these people, I don't want to restrict them from doing great work."
His remarks came in response to a question citing reports about advanced ChatGPT AI models and whether the administration was considering tighter controls on artificial intelligence.
Earlier during the event, Trump welcomed Nvidia founder and chief executive Jensen Huang, who attended the White House announcement on the redevelopment of Washington Dulles International Airport.
Introducing Huang, Trump praised his achievements in semiconductor technology and linked them to the administration's ambitions for American infrastructure.
"If we can do with an airport, like he does with chips, it'll be the greatest airport anywhere in the world," Trump said.
Later, while discussing investment flowing into the United States, Trump again referred to Huang, saying: "Jensen is spending a tremendous amount of money, by hundreds of billions of dollars."
Artificial intelligence has emerged as one of the defining areas of technological competition between the United States and China. Both countries are investing heavily in AI research, advanced chips, cloud computing and data infrastructure, while governments increasingly view leadership in AI as critical to economic growth, military capability and national security.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting that Trump is worried about China's "freewheeling" approach while also wanting to keep regulations minimal. Sounds like a fine line to walk. But honestly, if AI is this transformative, maybe the focus should be on global cooperation, not just national competition.
Trump calling AI bigger than the internet feels like a classic American political exaggeration. 😅 But there's no denying that whoever leads in AI will have enormous influence. I just hope India doesn't get left behind in this tech race - we need our own AI moonshot program.
It's quite something that Jensen Huang was there in the White House. Our own Indian-origin CEOs are literally shaping the future of tech! 🇮🇳 But Trump's "controls" talk sounds like he wants to have his cake and eat it too - no regulation but also no risk. As an engineer, I know AI needs some guardrails.
The real question is: how will AI impact jobs in developing countries like India? Trump is worried about US vs China, but millions of Indians depend on IT services that could be disrupted by AI. We need a serious conversation about reskilling and social safety nets.
Classic Trump - huge claims, vague plans. "We're looking at AI" doesn't inspire confidence. Meanwhile, China has a national AI strategy with clear targets. The US may lead now, but they can't afford to be complacent. And India needs to ask itself: are we even in this race?
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.