Trump’s Science adviser warns China closing AI gap, urges Congress to act

Washington: White House science adviser Michael Kratsios has warned that China is rapidly narrowing America’s lead in artificial intelligence, urging Congress to move swiftly on legislation, funding and infrastructure to preserve US dominance in a technology increasingly seen as central to economic power and national security.

Testifying last week before a House Science, Space and Technology subcommittee on the administration’s AI Action Plan, Kratsios said the United States has moved from a position of clear advantage to one of intensifying competition.

“In 2020, the American innovation enterprise held a comfortable lead in AI,” Kratsios told lawmakers. “By 2024, that gap had begun to close significantly.”

Kratsios said the Trump administration had shifted from strategy to execution since unveiling Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan last summer, focusing on three pillars — innovation, infrastructure and international partnerships — to maintain US leadership.

Subcommittee chair Jay Obernolte said artificial intelligence was becoming a foundational driver of global innovation, warning that competitors such as the Chinese Communist Party were seeking to undermine US advantages through research espionage, AI-enabled cyberattacks and control of critical infrastructure.

“AI-enabled cyberattacks are a growing threat that demands constant vigilance,” Obernolte said, adding that Congress must act to provide a unified federal framework for the technology.

Kratsios told lawmakers that access to advanced computing power and reliable energy supplies would determine which countries lead in AI development. He highlighted the role of US national laboratories, which host some of the world’s fastest supercomputers, and the administration’s push to expand nuclear power and advanced reactor technologies to meet rising electricity demand from data centers.

Lawmakers from both parties also stressed the importance of US-led standards for artificial intelligence, arguing that technical norms would shape global adoption as much as breakthroughs in chips or software.

Kratsios said the administration plans to launch an AI export programme aimed at ensuring US companies supply trusted AI systems to partners and allies, preventing Chinese technology from becoming the default option in global markets.

“We are at a critical moment,” he said. “If we act decisively, the American AI stack can become the dominant stack worldwide.”

Committee chairman Brian Babin said US leadership in artificial intelligence was essential to economic competitiveness and national security, comparing the moment to earlier technological races in space and nuclear energy.

He said Congress must support research and development, workforce training and access to federal computing resources, while avoiding regulatory fragmentation that could slow innovation.

Several lawmakers raised concerns that a patchwork of state-level AI laws could disadvantage US startups, giving larger technology companies an edge due to their ability to absorb compliance costs.

Kratsios echoed those concerns, warning that fragmented regulation would be “anti-innovation” and could accelerate consolidation in the technology sector.

Despite broad bipartisan agreement on the stakes, lawmakers acknowledged that difficult debates lie ahead over export controls, standards-setting and how to balance innovation with security and oversight.

IANS