VP JD Vance Pledges to Protect U.S. AI and Block Its Weaponization

Vice President JD Vance reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to safeguarding its artificial intelligence and semiconductor technologies, vowing to block efforts by authoritarian regimes to weaponize them.

Speaking at France’s AI Action Summit in Paris, Vance warned that some nations have exploited AI for military intelligence, surveillance, and foreign data manipulation. “This administration will block such efforts, full stop,” he stated. “We will safeguard American AI and chip technologies from theft and misuse, work with our allies and partners to strengthen and extend these protections, and close pathways to adversaries attaining AI capabilities that threaten all of our people.”

While he did not directly name China’s AI model DeepSeek, which has drawn global attention for its competitive performance at a lower cost, Vance criticized heavily subsidized technologies exported by authoritarian states. “We’re all familiar with cheap tech in the marketplace that’s been heavily subsidized and exported by authoritarian regimes,” he said.

In a pointed message to allies, Vance cautioned against collaborating with companies linked to such regimes, arguing it would compromise national security. “Chaining your nation to an authoritarian master that seeks to infiltrate, dig in, and seize your information infrastructure never pays off,” he added.

The U.S. has ramped up efforts to control AI development and chip manufacturing, tightening restrictions on exports to China and strengthening alliances in the tech sector.