There are now two major international agreements designed to protect the global community that the United States is refusing to participate in: The Paris Climate Accords, which the Trump administration has pulled out of for the second time, and now the declaration that came out of the Paris AI Action Summit which called for all development of artificial intelligence tools and technology to be inclusive, open, ethical, sustainable, and safe. God forbid, right?
The United States was not alone in its rejection of the agreement, which was signed by over 70 governments and international bodies including the European Union, China, and India. The United Kingdom also opted not to place its signature on the pledge, a move it signaled on Monday according to Politico, without providing any public explanation as to why.
The US was not so quiet about its reasons. In his first international address, Vice President JD Vance essentially told the world that they could shove it if they’re expecting the United States to act responsibly when it comes to AI development. Vance referred to the declaration, which does not seem to have any enforcement method, as a “massive” set of regulations that amounts to “authoritarian censorship,” per Reuters.
Vance’s primary reason for snubbing the global community, he said, was because the Trump administration believes “excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry just as it’s taking off.” Growing that industry safely and with guide rails would get in the way of profits, you see, and that simply cannot stand.
Vance, seemingly defiantly, insisted that not only will America reject this international agreement, but it’ll “ensure that the most powerful A.I. systems are built in the U.S. with American designed and manufactured chips.” And while he said that America won’t go at it alone, he also made clear that if the rest of the world wants to come along on that journey, the Trump administration will allow it—but only if they drop this whole “inclusive and sustainable” stuff.
It seems at least part of the issue for Vance and the administration he represents stems from China, which did sign the agreement. At one point during his speech, Vance warned that “cheap tech in the marketplace” has been “heavily subsidized and exported by authoritarian regimes” and said “partnering with them means chaining your nation to an authoritarian master that seeks to infiltrate, dig in and seize your information infrastructure.” While he didn’t namedrop DeepSeek, the Chinese AI firm that grabbed headlines by releasing an open-source chatbot that was competitive with American models allegedly at a fraction of the price, it does seem that he was pointing directly at it in every other way.
The rest of the world seemed disappointed but not shocked by America’s decision to withhold its signature. And it seems like the Trump administration’s reckless approach is already affecting others. French President Emmanuel Macron signed the agreement but also stated that France would seek to cut red tape when it comes to AI investment and development. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen also said the EU would make a point to “reduce bureaucracy” and increase its investments in AI.
That’s about in line with what we’ve already seen from the AI industry. ChatGPT’s very public arrival was born out of a rush to get to market, not an assurance that the tool was safe and ready for the public. By opting not to sign on to the AI Action Summit agreement, the Trump administration has signaled that’s the plan for the industry—be first, consequences be damned.
JD Vance Tells World to Shove It, US Won’t Join International Treaty on AI
