Paris, France — Vice President JD Vance, delivering his inaugural international speech, cautioned European Union nations against excessive regulation and emphasized that the Trump administration aims to keep artificial intelligence free from ideological influences.
“The Trump administration is alarmed by reports indicating that certain foreign governments are contemplating stricter regulations on U.S. technology firms with global operations,” Vance stated during his remarks to global leaders and tech executives at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, France. “America cannot and will not accept that, and we consider it a grave mistake — not only for the United States but for your own nations as well.”
Vance expressed that the U.S. is committed to ensuring the internet remains a safe environment, yet he argued that the European Union’s Digital Services Act goes too far, introducing “extensive regulations” and “monitoring so-called misinformation.”
“Preventing a predator from targeting a child online is one issue, but stopping an adult from accessing an opinion deemed misinformation by the government is quite another,” Vance remarked.
The Digital Services Act aims to hold platforms accountable for safeguarding European users from harmful or illicit content and imposes penalties for non-compliance. Last July, the EU determined that the social media platform X, owned by Department of Government Efficiency chief and Trump ally Elon Musk, failed to meet the act’s transparency and accountability criteria.
Vance informed leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, that stringent regulation of the AI industry could “stifle a transformative sector just as it begins to flourish,” asserting that the Trump administration will prioritize fostering pro-growth AI policies.
“I hope to see that deregulatory mindset reflected in many discussions at this conference,” Vance stated.
During his address, Vance advocated for America-first AI policies, resonating with French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for the EU to adopt a deregulatory approach to stimulate AI innovation on the continent.
Macron noted on Monday that France possesses sufficient clean electricity to establish artificial intelligence hubs, which require significant energy resources.
“I have a good friend on the other side of the ocean who says ‘drill, baby, drill,'” Macron said, referring to President Trump’s fossil fuel advocacy. “Here, there is no need to ‘drill, baby, drill.’ It is just ‘plug, baby, plug.'”
While the summit, co-hosted by Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to set standards for sustainable AI that serves the public interest, it has been overshadowed by the competition among global powers striving to achieve dominance in the sector.
Prominent American tech leaders, including Google’s Sundar Pichai and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, are present at the summit along with world leaders like Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing.
Vance asserted that the Trump administration would ensure the U.S. maintains its status as the partner of choice for foreign nations and enterprises in advancing AI.
Although the vice president did not mention China — or its new AI enterprise DeepSeek — he cautioned “hostile foreign actors” that have “weaponized AI software to distort history, surveil users, and censor speech.”
“Let me be clear: this administration will thwart such attempts, full stop,” Vance declared. “We will protect American AI and chip technologies from theft and exploitation, collaborate with our allies and partners to enhance these safeguards, and close pathways that allow adversaries to acquire AI capabilities that pose threats to all our citizens.”
He extended his caution to allies as well.
“I also want to remind our international friends here today that collaborating with such regimes never yields long-term benefits. From CCTV to 5G equipment, we are all aware of the cheap technology in the marketplace heavily subsidized and exported by authoritarian regimes,” Mr. Vance commented.
