U.S. Vice President JD Vance called Tuesday on European countries to embrace “the new frontier of AI with optimism and not trepidation” and adopt a lighter touch on tech regulation.
“We want to embark on the AI revolution before us with the spirit of openness and collaboration, but to create that kind of trust we need international regulatory regimes that foster creation,” he told attendees at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris.
As he echoed grievances aired by U.S. companies against Europe’s efforts to rein in Big Tech, Vance called for AI regulation that does “not strangle” the burgeoning industry.
“To restrict it’s development now would not only unfairly benefit incumbents in the space, it would mean paralyzing one of the most promising technologies we have seen in generations,” he said in his first major trip overseas since taking office.
Vance pointedly attacked Europe’s Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act, telling attendees, which included European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, that these were “onerous international rules” that have stifled innovation and created unnecessary hurdles for American businesses.
EU tech boss Henna Virkkunen told POLITICO on the sidelines of the summit before Vance’s speech that the bloc’s tech laws were fair since they applied to everyone equally. However, she said that she would discuss the issue with her American counterparts and promised a more “innovation-friendly” AI regulatory framework.
Despite his various criticisms, Vance’s comments are likely to be well received with many of Europe’s biggest AI players, as they have have been calling for Brussels to focus more on innovation and less on regulation. Some tech leaders have gone so far as to call for a review of the EU’s AI act, which bans certain practices and introduces safeguards.
Vance added that he welcomed the tone of conversations at the summit, which French President Emmanuel Macron has branded as a moment to embrace the opportunities linked to the development of AI, rather than focus on regulation and pondering its existential threats.
“I like to see that deregulatory flavor making its way into a lot of conversations,” he said.
The U.S. vice president also attacked China during his speech, lambasting “hostile foreign adversaries” that are, according to Vance “weaponizing” AI software to rewrite history and censor speech.
“From CCTV to 5G equipment, we’re all familiar with cheap tech in the marketplace that’s been heavily subsidized and exported by authoritarian regimes,” he said. “Should a deal seem too good to be true, just remember the old adage that we learned in Silicon Valley — if you aren’t paying for the product, you are the product.”
The rivalry between the U.S. and China to unleash AI potential became more intense last month after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a $500 billion plan to develop artificial intelligence in the U.S. and the Chinese startup DeepSeek released a cutting-edge chatbot allegedly at a fraction of the cost of its American competitors.
Vance delivered his address just hours after Trump enacted new 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imported into the U.S., a move that will impact European businesses and significantly escalate the brewing trade war between Brussels and Washington.
Von der Leyen on Tuesday called the new tariffs “unjustified” and vowed that they will “not go unanswered.”
Vance and von der Leyen are expected to meet in Paris later Tuesday.
Pieter Haeck contributed to this report.
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