Top Tech CEOs Urge Congress to Ease AI Rules to Compete with China

Top executives from OpenAI, Microsoft, AMD, and CoreWeave testified before the Senate Commerce Committee last week, warning that overly strict regulations could undermine U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence at a critical moment.

The three-hour hearing featured a united call from industry leaders for lighter-touch regulation, stronger infrastructure investments, and broader access to global markets to help the United States maintain its competitive edge over China in AI development.

AI’s Transformative Potential — and Infrastructure Needs

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told lawmakers that AI could prove to be "bigger than the internet," and stressed that keeping the U.S. at the forefront will require urgent investment in critical infrastructure. Altman’s remarks suggested that without significant government support, the pace of American innovation could falter at a key juncture.

Microsoft President Brad Smith also sounded alarms about the unintended consequences of tightening export restrictions on AI chips. Smith argued that limiting U.S. chip exports could drive global customers toward Chinese alternatives, ultimately weakening the global adoption of American technology.

AMD CEO Lisa Su echoed similar concerns, warning that if American options are not readily available due to current export controls, "other technologies will come to play," potentially shifting the balance of technological leadership away from the U.S.

Unified Industry Demands

Despite representing different companies and market segments, the executives shared a consistent message about the steps they believe Congress should take to secure the U.S. AI advantage. Their recommendations included:

• Boosting federal funding for AI research and development.

• Investing in workforce training to ensure a pipeline of AI-literate workers.

• Modernizing the U.S. electric grid to support growing AI energy demands.

• Streamlining permitting processes to speed up the deployment of new technologies and infrastructure.

The testimonies framed the AI competition not just as a commercial rivalry, but as part of a broader geopolitical struggle between the U.S. and China for technological supremacy.

A Complex Balancing Act

While the executives pushed for pro-innovation policies, they acknowledged the difficult balance lawmakers must strike between encouraging rapid development and managing AI’s potential risks. Altman, Smith, Su, and others positioned AI leadership as a national priority—but recognized that safety, ethics, and international stability also weigh heavily in the debate.

The hearing underscored how tech giants view government regulation: as a tool that can either bolster America's position in the global AI race—or, if applied too aggressively, hand key advantages to competitors abroad.

What This Means

The Senate hearing revealed growing pressure from the private sector for policies that protect U.S. innovation without imposing burdens that could slow progress. Tech leaders are increasingly framing AI not just as a business opportunity, but as a national security issue—where falling behind could have broad economic and strategic consequences.

However, the calls for lighter regulation come amid rising concerns about AI safety, labor impacts, and ethical challenges. As lawmakers craft the next phase of AI policy, they will need to weigh how to foster growth without creating blind spots that could lead to new risks.

There is also a deeper question at play: whether competing to dominate AI development is the right long-term strategy. Global collaboration may offer a better path for setting shared norms, managing risks, and ensuring that the rules for powerful AI systems are shaped collectively—rather than dictated by whoever crosses the finish line first.

The choices Congress makes now will not only shape America's future in AI, but also influence whether the next generation of technology serves the interests of a single nation—or the shared values of the world.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.