China AI theft may feature in Trump-Xi talks
Washington, July 23
US President Donald Trump is expected to raise concerns over China's alleged acquisition of American artificial intelligence technology when he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year, the White House indicated on Thursday, underscoring Washington's determination to maintain its lead in the global AI race.
Speaking at the daily White House briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said protecting US technological leadership would be a priority in any future discussions between the two leaders after she was asked whether reports of Chinese AI firms allegedly distilling or stealing American AI models would feature in their expected September meeting.
"I have had the honour of being part of some of the meetings and discussions between President Trump and President Xi," Leavitt said. "And I can tell you, there is always a wide range of topics that come up."
She added: "I would imagine this would be something that's of high importance to the president and of this administration to obviously ensure that America remains dominant in the AI race."
Leavitt said the administration was closely monitoring reports that Chinese entities may have improperly obtained American AI technology.
"We're obviously tracking the particular situation that you mentioned," she said.
The comments came after a reporter referred to concerns raised this week by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about China potentially "distilling or stealing AI technology" developed in the United States. The question also cited claims by AI company Anthropic that it had experienced its largest known "distilling attack" last month.
While Leavitt declined to discuss possible policy responses, she made clear that the administration considers the issue important for both economic competitiveness and national security.
Asked whether Trump was considering sanctions or other measures against Chinese AI companies if they were found to have stolen American intellectual property, Leavitt refused to speculate.
"I won't get ahead of the president on any potential actions," she said. "But obviously these conversations are taking place and again, they're of the utmost importance, not just for our national security, but to ensure America remains dominant in this space."
The White House also linked its broader technology agenda to strategic competition with China during the briefing.
Earlier, Leavitt said Trump's expansion of the administration's Ratepayer Protection Pledge for AI data centres would help strengthen US leadership in artificial intelligence.
She said the initiative would ensure that utilities, developers and technology companies bear the costs of expanding electricity infrastructure needed for AI data centres instead of passing those costs to consumers.
According to Leavitt, the programme now covers about 80 per cent of the electricity delivered to American homes and businesses after nearly 200 additional stakeholders signed the pledge.
"President Trump's bold leadership is turning data centres from a source of concern into engines of growth and opportunity for communities across this country, all while cementing America's dominance over China in the global AI race," she said.
The administration has increasingly framed artificial intelligence as a strategic competition between the United States and China, arguing that American leadership in advanced computing, semiconductors and AI systems is critical to economic growth and national security.
Trump and Xi are expected to meet later this year, with trade, technology, security and broader bilateral relations likely to dominate the agenda. Artificial intelligence has emerged as an increasingly important issue in the relationship as both countries invest heavily in next-generation computing capabilities and compete for global leadership in the sector.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This whole AI race feels like a rich kids' game where they're fighting over toys while the rest of the world watches. India needs to focus on building our own AI models with Indian data and languages, not get dragged into US-China squabbles. Make in India for AI! 🇮🇳
It's comical how the US accuses China of stealing while simultaneously blocking advanced chip sales to everyone. The real theft here is American tech hegemony. India should be working with both sides strategically - we have the talent pool to compete, but we need fair access to technology. This cold war mentality is bad for global innovation.
Hmm, interesting how this is being framed just before Trump-Xi talks. Classic American negotiating tactic - create pressure before the meeting. But let's be honest, China has been reverse-engineering tech for decades (look at their missile tech from the 90s). India should learn from this - instead of whining, invest in R&D like China did. Aatmanirbhar Bharat needs real action, not just slogans.
To be fair, no country has clean hands here. US companies have been caught in industrial espionage globally, and China's state-backed innovation model definitely blurs ethical lines. But the bigger question for India is - where are our DeepSeek equivalents? Why are our brightest engineers still working for FAANG instead of building Desi AI? 🧠🌏
"Distilling attacks" - fancy way of saying 'our models weren't secure enough' 😅. Instead
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