David Sacks, the White House’s AI advisor, warned on June 11, 2025, that excessive regulation of US AI technology could hinder innovation.

He cautioned that such measures might allow China to take the lead in the sector. He made these comments at an AWS summit in Washington, advising against policies that could inhibit growth in the AI industry.

Sacks minimized concerns that US AI chips could be easily smuggled to unauthorized users.

He described them as large, heavy server racks, which are not portable.

He said, “It’s very easy to verify that they’re where they’re supposed to be.”

The Trump administration recently rolled back measures that the Biden administration had introduced to limit the export of AI technology. These changes include the removal of rules that restricted the number of US exports.

AI computing capacity accessible to specific countries through chip imports. Sacks noted that the Biden-era restrictions could drive international markets toward China, thus undermining US competitiveness.

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🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ US AI export policy has swung from restriction to market expansion

The recent reversal of Biden’s AI diffusion rule represents a fundamental strategic shift in how the US aims to maintain AI leadership globally.

Under Biden, the US implemented a tiered licensing system that restricted AI chip exports based on trust levels with different countries, aimed at preventing adversaries from accessing critical technologies 1.

The Trump administration’s new approach, exemplified by the UAE deal allowing export of 500,000 advanced AI chips annually, prioritizes market expansion and technology diffusion as competitive advantages 2.

This policy shift reflects competing philosophies about technological leadership: whether restricting access better protects US advantages or whether broader deployment of US technology creates market dominance that counters Chinese influence.

The UAE agreement demonstrates how quickly policy can change, with the Gulf nation moving from restricted status to strategic partner in AI development within months 2.

2️⃣ The US-China AI competition has multiple dimensions beyond models

While David Sacks claimed China is only “three to six months” behind in AI models, research shows the competition has distinct technological layers with varying competitive gaps.

Chinese firms remain approximately two years behind in AI chip technology and face significant challenges in high-end production despite their rapid progress in developing competitive AI models 3.

The US maintains a crucial advantage in total compute capacity and semiconductor design with an 85% global market share, suggesting model capability is just one aspect of AI leadership 45.

US export controls have specifically targeted this hardware advantage, aiming to keep China 10-15 years behind in advanced chip production while Chinese companies like Alibaba and Tencent have made significant progress in software and models 36.

This multi-dimensional race suggests that while China may be closing the gap in certain AI capabilities, the US retains structural advantages in the physical infrastructure that powers advanced AI systems.

3️⃣ Export controls face effectiveness challenges without allied coordination

The effectiveness of US export restrictions has been limited by the complex global semiconductor supply chain and varying regulatory frameworks among allies.

US unilateral export controls risk alienating allies and creating opportunities for China to expand influence in emerging markets, as evidenced by concerns raised about the Biden-era restrictions 7.

Many US allies lack equivalent export control authorities, which complicates coordinated efforts to restrict China’s access to advanced AI technologies despite diplomatic pressure 8.

A significant breach occurred when TSMC produced chips for Huawei, demonstrating how supply chain complexity can undermine even well-designed export control regimes 4.

The success of any export control strategy ultimately depends on multilateral cooperation, which requires balancing security concerns with economic incentives for US companies and international partners.

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