Michael Richards
Senior Director, Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center (C_TEC)
Published
March 03, 2025
Recently at the Paris AI Action Summit, Vice President J.D. Vance, in his first international speech since taking office, outlined a bold and optimistic vision where AI will drive prosperity. He highlighted several key points that align with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s goals of economic growth powered by AI.
Beyond Safety Debates: Vice President Vance’s remarks represented a much-needed paradigm shift in AI strategy. Although previous iterations of the Summit in the United Kingdom and South Korea focused on safety issues, Vice President Vance correctly emphasized the need to refocus from addressing AI as inherently a safety issue to instead “talk about AI opportunity.” Other nations are recognizing the need to reframe the conversation, as evidenced by the United Kingdom recently renaming its AI Safety Institute to the AI Security Institute.
Regulation and Growth: The Vice President thoughtfully addressed the potential harm of excessive regulation on innovation. He called for eliminating unnecessary barriers to AI developers of all sizes, warning that “excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry just as it’s taking off.” Vice President Vance’s concerns echoed those of the Chamber which has called for a risk-based approach to new AI rules that relies primarily on existing laws and not an burdensome one-sized-fits all comprehensive approach.
AI as a Force Multiplier: Vice President Vance also highlighted the positive impact of AI on the workforce, stating, “AI is going to make our workers more productive, and we expect to reap the rewards with higher wages, better benefits, and safer and more prosperous communities.” He countered the notion that AI will replace humans, asserting, “It is not going to replace human beings… we believe it is going to make us more productive, prosperous, and free.” AI is already helping smaller companies grow in both sales and hiring.
The Big Picture:
While the Vice President rightly called on his international counterparts, particularly those in Europe, to reevaluate their stance on technology regulations, which in large part have contributed to a lack of global competitiveness, many states like Colorado, Texas, California, and Virginia are embarking on a course through proposed legislation to adopt EU-style AI regulation. The United States runs the risk of falling behind its competitors if it continues down the path of fragmented and outsized state regulations. Congress must establish a single national AI strategy focused on opportunity.
About the authors
Michael Richards
Michael Richards is the senior director of policy at the Chamber's Center for Technology Engagement.
