By Jarrett Renshaw. PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, July 15 (Reuters)
With the growing technological rivalry between the United States and China, discussions on AI development have become increasingly frequent and necessary. In this context, Trump organized an AI Summit, bringing together industry leaders, demonstrating Washington’s willingness to invest heavily to keep the country ahead of its geopolitical rivals.
Trump rallies tech and energy giants to push AI
President Donald Trump joined executives from some of the largest U.S. tech and energy companies for a summit in Pittsburgh last week as the administration prepares fresh measures to power the U.S. expansion of artificial intelligence. Top economic rivals U.S. and China are locked in a technological arms race over who can dominate AI as the technology takes on increasing importance everywhere from corporate boardrooms to the battlefield.
The Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University brought tech executives and officials from top energy and tech firms including Meta META.O, Microsoft MSFT.O, Alphabet GOOGL.O and Exxon Mobil to discuss how to position the U.S. as a leader in AI.
Trump used the summit – put together by U.S. Senator Dave McCormick, a Republican ally from Pennsylvania – to announce some $70 billion in artificial intelligence and energy investments in the state. The meeting aimed to align public and private investment strategies to accelerate the infrastructure needed for the growth of artificial intelligence, especially in areas such as data storage, power grids and new clean energy models.
White House prepares executive actions to unlock AI infrastructure
The White House is considering executive actions in the coming weeks to make it easier for power-generating projects to connect to the grid and also provide federal land on which to build the data centers needed to expand AI technology, Reuters previously reported. The administration is also weighing streamlining permitting for data centers by creating a nationwide Clean Water Act permit, rather than requiring companies to seek permits on a state-by-state basis.
Trump ordered his administration in January to produce an AI Action Plan that would make “America the world capital in artificial intelligence” and reduce regulatory barriers to its rapid expansion. That report, which includes input from the National Security Council, was due by July 23. The White House is considering making July 23 “AI Action Day” to draw attention to the report and demonstrate its commitment to expanding the industry, Reuters has reported.
This strategy seeks to address criticism that the United States has advanced fragmentedly in the global AI race. By centralizing regulatory decisions and expediting permitting, the administration aims to avoid bottlenecks that could give an advantage to countries like China, which are already investing heavily in AI infrastructure. Furthermore, the creation of “AI Action Day” reinforces the symbolic and political nature of the initiative, projecting the image of a leadership committed to innovation.
Unprecedented partnerships between Big Tech and the energy sector raise concerns
The demand is also leading to unprecedented deals between the power industry and technology companies, including the attempted restart of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania between Constellation Energy and Microsoft. The surge has led to concerns about power shortages that threaten to raise electricity bills and increase the risk of blackouts, while slowing Big Tech in its global race against countries like China to dominate artificial intelligence.
Despite the optimism surrounding the new partnerships, it is important to emphasize that pressure on the electricity system could generate significant side effects for the population. Increased energy demand to support AI could raise tariffs, impact the environment, and create new energy security challenges. Still, the government argues that such risks are necessary to ensure the country’s technological advancement and prevent geopolitical rivals from gaining the upper hand.