On Monday, January 13th, OpenAI unveiled its vision for the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the United States. The company stated that in this emerging technological race, the U.S. needs external investment and supportive regulation to help maintain its global leadership position in competition with China.
The AI startup released a 15-page document titled “Economic Blueprint” on Monday, urging the incoming Trump administration and Congress to adopt the blueprint. The document emphasized that “chips, data, and energy are the keys to AI dominance, and the U.S. needs to take immediate action to establish national rules that will help ensure its advantage.”
Chris Lehane, the Vice President of Global Policy at OpenAI, emphasized in an interview with Fox News Digital that securing America’s leadership position in AI innovation and production is crucial.
Lehane pointed out that the U.S. is committed to developing AI that aligns with democratic values, emphasizing free and open characteristics, transparency, and accessibility to provide equal opportunities to more people. On the other hand, China is developing a more authoritarian type of AI, which may lean towards centralized control and regulation, consistent with the values of an autocratic regime, and could be used to enhance the government’s surveillance and control capabilities.
He stated that there will only be one winner in the competition between the U.S. and China.
According to Fox News, foreign adversaries have clearly stated that AI is a key component of economic and military dominance. China aims to become the global leader in AI by 2030, and Russian President Putin has stated, “Whoever wins the AI race will win the world.”
Lehane emphasized, “The U.S. is currently leading, but this is not a guarantee of success; we must do our utmost to maintain our advantage.”
The release of the “Economic Blueprint” comes just days before President Trump’s inauguration. The new Trump administration will have David Sacks, former Chief Operating Officer of PayPal, as the AI and cryptocurrency czar, with expectations that the Trump administration will be more friendly towards the tech industry.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has also donated around $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, becoming one of many business executives hoping to establish closer ties with Trump.
In the document, OpenAI stated that an estimated $175 billion of global funds is waiting to be invested in AI projects, and if the U.S. fails to attract this investment, it will flow to projects supported by China, further enhancing the global influence of the Chinese Communist Party.
The document also outlined recommendations for implementing export controls on AI models, suggesting that such technologies should be kept out of the hands of countries that may more easily abuse them.
OpenAI plans to hold an event in Washington, D.C. later this month to discuss its proposals.