Major technology firms are urging the Trump administration to scale back regulations on artificial intelligence (AI), arguing that unfettered development is crucial to maintaining U.S. dominance and competing with China.
Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has prioritized AI acceleration, moving away from concerns over deepfakes, job displacement, and model inaccuracies. Vice President JD Vance reinforced this stance at a recent AI summit in Paris, dismissing safety concerns as obstacles to innovation.
The shift has unsettled international allies, particularly the European Union, which had positioned its AI Act as a global benchmark for responsible AI governance. However, faced with U.S. deregulation, European officials are now shifting their focus toward investment and innovation.
“We’re going to see a significant pullback in regulatory efforts worldwide,” said David Danks, a professor at UC San Diego, pointing to a global recalibration in AI oversight.
Trump’s administration has actively sought industry input on shaping AI policy, emphasizing the need to remove investor constraints. In its submission, OpenAI framed China’s AI progress as a direct threat, citing the rapid development of DeepSeek, a Chinese generative AI model built at lower costs. The company warned against restrictive regulations, arguing that limiting AI research would cede the global race to China.
Some industry figures, including AI analyst Zvi Mowshowitz, suggest that tech firms are advocating against federal AI regulations and seeking to block individual states from imposing their own rules.
