Trump vows to keep US ahead in AI race with China

PITTSBURGH: President Donald Trump has pledged to make sure the United States stays ahead of China with an investment worth $92 billion in the race to lead the world in artificial intelligence. 

Speaking at the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University, he said massive new investments in energy and technology would help keep America on top, as AI continues to grow at lightning speed.

“Today’s commitments are ensuring that the future is going to be designed, built and made right here in Pennsylvania and right here in Pittsburgh, and I have to say, right here in the United States of America,” Trump said at the event.

The tech world has fully embraced generative AI as the next major technological leap, but concerns are mounting that the vast energy it requires cannot be supported by current infrastructure, especially in the United States.

Generative AI depends heavily on immense computing power, largely to operate energy-hungry processors from Nvidia, the California-based firm now ranked the world’s most valuable company by market capitalisation.

Officials estimate that by 2028, tech firms will require as much as five gigawatts of power to support AI — enough electricity to supply about five million homes.

Top executives from Palantir, Anthropic, Exxon, and Chevron were present at the summit.

The funding will be allocated to building new data centres, expanding power generation, upgrading grid infrastructure, and supporting AI training and apprenticeship programmes.

Race to beat China

Among the key investments, Google has pledged $25 billion to construct AI-ready data centres in Pennsylvania and nearby regions.

“We support President Trump’s clear and urgent direction that our nation invest in AI... so that America can continue to lead in AI,” said Ruth Porat, Google’s president and chief investment officer.

Google also announced a collaboration with Brookfield Asset Management to modernise two hydropower facilities in Pennsylvania, representing 670 MW of capacity added to the regional grid.

Investment firm Blackstone has committed more than $25 billion towards new data centres and energy infrastructure.

US Senator David McCormick from Pennsylvania called the investments “enormously significant for Pennsylvania, and critical for the future of the country.”

His remarks echo a growing view in Washington that the United States must not fall behind China in the race for AI leadership.

“We are way ahead of China and the plants are starting up, the construction is starting up,” Trump said.

The US president launched the “Stargate” project in January, with plans to invest up to $500 billion in domestic AI infrastructure — a direct response to intensifying competition with China.

Japanese tech giant SoftBank, along with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Oracle, are investing $100 billion in the project’s initial phase.

Trump has also reversed many of the Biden administration’s policies that placed checks on developing advanced AI algorithms and restricted exports of cutting-edge technologies to certain allied nations.

He is expected to present his own AI roadmap later this month.