US VP JD Vance Warns Against AI Censorship, Overregulation


United States Vice President JD Vance stated that the country firmly believes AI should remain free from ideological bias. He emphasized that American AI will not be turned into a tool for authoritarian censorship and warned that excessive regulation could stifle its development.

Speaking on AI regulation during the France AI Action Summit, VP Vance said the Trump administration believes that excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry just as it is taking off. 

“We will make every effort to encourage pro-growth AI policies,” Vance said.

“America wants to partner with everyone and we want to embark on the AI revolution before us with a spirit of  openness and collaboration.”

“To create this kind of trust, we need international regulatory regimes that foster the creation of AI technology rather than strangle it.” 

He said Europe in particular needs to look to this new frontier with optimism rather than trepidation adding that the development of cutting-edge AI, especially in the US is no accident. 

By preserving an open regulatory environment, Vance said the US has encouraged American innovators to experiment and to make unparalleled R&D investments. 

“Of the $700 billion that is estimated to be spent on AI in 2028, over half of it will likely be invested in the US,” he continued. 

“This administration will not be the one to snuff out the startups and the graduate students producing some of the most groundbreaking AI apps. Instead, our laws will keep big tech, little tech and all other developers on a level playing field.”

With President Trump’s recent executive order on AI, Vance said that the US is developing an AI action plan that avoids an overly precautionary regulatory regime while ensuring that all Americans benefit from the technology and its transformative potential.

“We invite all countries to work with us and to follow that model if it makes sense for each nation,” he added. 

Vance further noted that the Trump administration is, however, troubled by reports that some foreign governments are considering tightening the screws on US tech companies with international footprints.

He strongly condemned this stating that America cannot and will not accept that and adding that the US believes this is a terrible mistake not just for them, but for other countries as well.

“US innovators of all sizes already know what it is like to deal with international rules. Many of our most productive tech companies are forced to deal with the EU Digital Services Act and the massive regulations created about taking down content and policing so-called misinformation,” Vance said.

“Of course, we want to ensure that the internet is a safe space but it is one thing to prevent a predator from preying on a child on the internet and it is something quite different to prevent a grown man or woman from accessing  an opinion that the government thinks is misinformation.”

For smaller firms, Vance further said, navigating the GDPR means endlessly paying the compliance costs or otherwise risking massive resistance.

“For some the easiest way to avoid the dilemma has been to simply block the EU users in the first place. Is this really the future that we want?” he asked.

“At this moment, we face the extraordinary prospect of a new industrial revolution but it will never come to pass if overregulation deters innovators from taking the risks necessary to advance the ball nor will it occur if we allow AI to become dominated by massive players looking to use, detect, to censor or control users thoughts.”

Vance further said that the Trump administration believes that AI will have countless revolutionary applications in economic innovation, job creation, national security, healthcare, freedom of expression and beyond. 

To restrict its development now, he said, will not only unfairly benefit incumbents in the space, but it would also mean paralysing one of the most promising technologies that we have seen in generations. 

Additionally, Vance said the Trump administration will ensure that American AI technology continues to be the gold standard worldwide and be the partner of choice for others, foreign countries and certainly businesses, as they expand their use of AI. 

“The Trump administration will maintain a pro-worker growth path for AI so that it can be a potent tool for job creation,” he said.

“I appreciate PM Modi’s point that AI will facilitate and make people more productive. It will not replace human beings and it never will. I think too many leaders in the AI industry when they talk about this fear of replacing workers, I believe they really miss the point.”

“AI, we believe, is going to make us more productive, prosperous and more free. The US is the leader of AI and we intend to keep it that way.” 

Vance said the US possesses all components across the full AI stack including advanced semiconductor zynex, frontier algorithms and transformational apps. 

The computing power this stack requires, he continued, is integral to advancing AI technology and safeguarding America’s advantage. 

“The Trump administration will ensure that the most powerful AI systems are built in the US with American-designed and manufactured chips,” he said. 

Further, Vance insisted that there is no issue that everyone worries more about than regulation when it comes to energy. 

“We are now standing at the frontier of an AI industry that is hungry for reliable power and high-quality semi-conductors yet too many of our friends are de-industrialising on one hand and chasing reliable power out of their nations and off their grids with the other,” he said.

The AI future, he said, is going to be won by building from reliable power plants to the manufacturing facilities that can produce the chips of the future.

“The success of this sector will depend on those who work with their hands. AI will help us create and store new modes of power in the future, but right now, AI cannot take off unless the world builds the energy infrastructure to support it,” Vance said.

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By Melinda Kirwa

Technology and Innovation journalist|| Techie Girl || AI, data and digital rights champion || Email: melindakirwa@techtrendsmedia.co.ke

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