Don't 'Strangle' AI With Excessive Regulations, Vance Chides the EU
Can a Global Common Ground Be Found as the AI Race Intensifies?
On February 11, 2025, U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the Paris AI Action Summit, chided the European Union and took jabs at China. He called for non-censorship and a global embrace of AI with optimism rather than trepidation. Vance emphasized the need for deregulation to foster innovation, criticized Europe’s regulatory approach, and warned against partnerships with authoritarian regimes. He cautioned Europe against strangling AI technology with burdensome regulations and called for the removal of ideological bias in AI.
In a veiled jab at China, Vance warned against the dangers of AI collaboration, suggesting that entering into such agreements with authoritarian regimes could lead to intellectual property theft and control over data systems. He framed this caution as a national security concern. Vance maintained that his mission at the summit was not to focus on AI risks, but to emphasize opportunities for growth and innovation.
However, if the summit aimed to foster transatlantic AI collaboration, it did little to achieve that goal. The U.S. appears unrelenting in its pursuit of AI dominance, while China, through Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, advocated for open-source AI principles.
With the EU, U.S., India, and China all pursuing different paths on AI collaboration—especially regarding regulations and coordination—and with very large ambitions at stake, global fragmentation in AI governance has become increasingly evident.
What can businesses do?