Tech giants OpenAI and Google are calling on the US government to take bold action to maintain the country’s leadership in artificial intelligence (AI).
In separate letters addressed to the Office of Science and Technology Policy, both companies emphasized the urgent need for strategic policies to ensure American innovation remains at the forefront.
Open AI’s letter to the Office of Science and Technology Police partly reads,
“As America’s world-leading AI sector approaches AGI, with a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) determined to overtake us by 2030, the Trump Administration’s new AI Action Plan can ensure that American-led AI built on democratic principles continues to prevail over CCP-built autocratic, authoritarian AI,”
Google echoed similar concerns, warning that while America currently leads in AI, this advantage is not guaranteed in the long run.
The Need for an AI Action Plan
OpenAI underscored AI’s ability to enhance human creativity, improve productivity, and boost economic prosperity. The company likened the ongoing AI revolution to groundbreaking advancements such as the printing press, computers, and the domestication of the horse.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, described this moment as a pivotal opportunity, urging the government to ensure “freedom of intelligence.” OpenAI argues that AGI should remain accessible and free from excessive bureaucratic restrictions.
To support its vision, OpenAI outlined three key scaling principles:
- AI intelligence scales logarithmically with the computing resources used to train it.
- AI costs drop 10x every 12 months as technology advances.
- The time required to improve AI models keeps decreasing.
Google’s Three-Point AI Plan
Google, on the other hand, proposed a comprehensive three-point plan for the US to maintain its AI dominance:
1. Investing in AI Infrastructure
- Addressing the rising energy demands of AI data centers.
- Balancing export controls to ensure a competitive advantage.
- Expanding R&D funding for AI development.
- Establishing pro-innovation policies at the federal level.
2. Accelerating AI Adoption in Government
- Implementing multi-vendor AI solutions to streamline operations.
- Reforming government procurement processes for AI deployment.
- Encouraging interoperability between different AI systems.
3. Championing AI Innovation on a Global Scale
- Promoting market-driven AI standards internationally.
- Partnering with allied nations to address national security risks.
- Removing foreign barriers that hinder AI innovation.
Policy Recommendations for US AI Leadership
Both OpenAI and Google laid out specific policy recommendations to strengthen America’s AI position:
OpenAI’s Policy Recommendations
- Regulatory Framework – Encourage voluntary partnerships between the private sector and the government to support innovation.
- Export Strategy – Protect America’s AI lead while promoting global adoption of US-developed AI.
- Copyright Strategy – Balance copyright protection with AI’s need to learn from existing data sources.
- AI Infrastructure Growth – Support AI-ready workforces, startups, and research labs.
- Government AI Adoption – Lead by example in using AI to benefit citizens.
Google’s AI Policy Priorities
- Energy Policies – Advance reforms to power AI-driven data centers.
- Balanced Export Controls – Protect market access while mitigating risks.
- Boosting AI R&D – Enhance computational resources and foster public-private partnerships.
- Federal AI Framework – Establish unified policies to prevent fragmented state laws and ensure responsible AI governance.
The Race for AI Dominance
Both companies warned that America’s AI lead is shrinking and that failure to act quickly could have serious consequences.
“We are in a global AI race, and the policies we implement now will determine the outcome,” Google emphasized.
A pro-innovation approach that safeguards national security while maximizing AI’s potential is critical to ensuring America remains the global leader in AI development.
