Washington, DC [US], September 15 : US Vice President JD Vance has questioned the motives behind major Artificial Intelligence firms urging government oversight, advocating instead for a unified approach between Congress and the White House to mitigate risks while maintaining America's competitive edge over China.
Interacting with journalists, Vance acknowledged valid apprehensions surrounding AI advancement while expressing doubts regarding the intentions driving technology corporations to lobby for state rules.
“There are obviously risks to AI, there are benefits to AI. I have to say, personally, I feel a little bit weird about the fact that we have so many frontier AI tech companies kind of talking to the government and begging the government to regulate them,” he stated.
“It feels a little bit to me like a bit of a Trojan horse, so I think we just have to be careful about this,” he added.
Although Vance refrained from specifying firms or detailing their purported objectives behind seeking regulation, he addressed queries concerning development concerns and weekend proposals for a moratorium.
“It’s something that we’re concerned by, but we want to make sure that we regulate smartly,” he remarked, stopping short of endorsing a pause while emphasising the geopolitical rivalry with Beijing.
“The other thing the President has said pretty consistently is we know that the Chinese are engaged in this long-term AI race against the United States. We want to make sure the United States, we do things smartly but we stay ahead of the curve,” he noted.
Regarding leadership on policy formulation between Capitol Hill and the executive branch, Vance emphasised the need for collaboration.
“Any regulatory regime we’d like, ideally, Congress and the White House to agree on it so that we actually are able to make it stick and so that we actually get some real consensus behind it,” he explained.
Addressing whether citizens ought to feel alarmed, Vance maintained that the administration remains vigilant regarding potential hazards, acknowledging inherent drawbacks common to emerging technologies.
Shifting to foreign policy matters, the Vice President commented on regional developments concerning the Houthis and the Red Sea corridor, mentioning ongoing diplomatic engagements with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and regional partners.
“We’ve also been engaged in direct conversation with the Houthis themselves. So we actually feel like we are on top of the situation; it’s a very fluid and dynamic thing. We want to keep on monitoring it,” he stated, offering no further particulars regarding those direct talks.
Furthermore, Vance defended his direct consultations with high-ranking military officials following reports regarding his outreach for candid assessments on foreign policy.
“It’s like the Vice President calls around to admirals and generals to try to understand American foreign policy, of course, I do,” he affirmed.