US Vice President JD Vance warned global leaders and CEOs of leading technology companies at a summit in Paris today that "overregulation" in the artificial intelligence sector will kill the fast-growing industry, which is just getting started.
In his first major policy speech since taking office as vice president in January, Vance said President Donald Trump's administration would ensure "that AI systems developed in America are free from ideological bias" and that the US would "never restrict the right of its citizens to free speech."
He also said the Trump administration is concerned that some foreign governments are considering "tightening regulations" on American technology companies operating internationally.
"We are currently facing the extraordinary prospect of a new industrial revolution on a par with the discovery of the steam locomotive. But that will never happen if excessive regulation deters innovators from taking the risks necessary to move forward," Vance warned in a speech at the Artificial Intelligence Summit in Paris.
He warned about Europe's regulatory approach to artificial intelligence and the targeting of content on large technology platforms, pointing to the difference between the US and its allies over the governance of artificial intelligence.
With the global public both excited and concerned about the power of artificial intelligence, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stressed that AI needs people's trust and must be safe.
She mentioned EU guidelines intended to standardize how the EU Law on Artificial Intelligence is implemented across all 27 member states, but added that she knows they must simultaneously facilitate it and reduce excessive regulation, stressing that they will do so.
She announced that the so-called InvestAI initiative has raised a total of €200 billion in investments in Europe, including a new €20 billion fund for artificial intelligence gigafactories.
The summit brings together heads of state and government, leaders of international organizations and companies, scientists, artists and representatives of civil society to consider the impact of artificial intelligence on security, the economy and governance. The differences were openly displayed at the summit - Europe seeks to regulate and invest, China expands access through state-backed technology giants and the US, under President Donald Trump, advocates for an open approach - to let it develop freely.
Among the high-ranking officials attending the conference is Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, a special envoy of Xi Jinping, who pointed to Beijing's interest in shaping global standards around artificial intelligence.
Vice President Vance has been an outspoken critic of European policies to control online content. He has previously suggested that the US should reconsider its obligations to NATO if European governments impose restrictions on Elon Musk's X platform.
During his visit to Paris, he is expected to discuss Ukraine, the role of artificial intelligence in global power shifts, and US-China tensions.
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