NEW YORK — In a wide-ranging address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, former U.S. President Donald J. Trump dismissed calls for global regulation of artificial intelligence, arguing that such frameworks would hand strategic control over the transformative technology to international bureaucracies while leaving American innovation at a disadvantage. Speaking to a packed General Assembly hall, Trump framed the debate around AI not as a matter of consumer safety alone, but as a critical national security and economic competitiveness issue.
Trump, who has increasingly positioned himself as a voice on technology policy despite being out of office, warned that proposals for worldwide AI oversight — including recent initiatives floated by the European Union and several Latin American nations — risked creating “a one-size-fits-all straitjacket” that could stifle innovation. He specifically criticized efforts to establish binding international standards, suggesting that such rules would effectively allow other nations, particularly China, to dictate the pace and direction of American technological development.
“We will not surrender the future of American ingenuity to a committee in Geneva or Brussels,” Trump declared, drawing applause from a delegation that included several U.S. allies skeptical of expanded global governance. He argued that the United States possesses a “considerable lead” in artificial intelligence, particularly in areas such as semiconductor design, cloud computing infrastructure, and foundational research conducted at American universities and private laboratories.
The former president’s remarks come amid intensifying global competition over AI leadership. The Biden administration has already implemented export controls on advanced chips and AI models destined for China, while Congress is considering legislation to bolster domestic semiconductor manufacturing and research funding. Trump, however, has repeatedly criticized what he calls “overregulation” of American tech companies, arguing that restrictive policies harm competitiveness without meaningfully limiting foreign advancement.
Trump also introduced a new rhetorical framing, referring to cutting-edge AI systems as “superintelligence,” a term that has gained traction among researchers and futurists but remains contentious within policy circles. He suggested that the United States should embrace this label as a way of asserting leadership in the development of next-generation AI, rather than allowing the conversation to be dominated by discussions of risk and restraint.
“We’re not just building better software — we’re building the foundation of tomorrow’s economy,” Trump said. “Other countries want to regulate us into mediocrity. We’re going to regulate ourselves, and we’re going to win.”
His comments were met with a mixed response from international delegates. Representatives from the European Union, which has championed a risk-based approach to AI governance through its AI Act, expressed “disappointment” with Trump’s stance. China’s ambassador to the United Nations did not immediately comment, though analysts note that Beijing has largely avoided endorsing global AI regulation frameworks that could constrain its own rapid development trajectory.
The debate over AI governance has grown increasingly polarized in recent months. Proponents of regulation argue that without coordinated international standards, the technology poses risks ranging from misinformation and surveillance to job displacement and autonomous weapons. Critics, including many in the tech industry and conservative policymakers, counter that premature regulation could entrench existing market leaders and slow the very innovation needed to address global challenges.
Trump’s speech also touched on broader themes of sovereignty and self-determination, themes that have resonated throughout his post-presidential political activities. He warned that global AI governance efforts resembled “old-style internationalism” that prioritizes institutional control over national autonomy. At the same time, he praised American tech workers and entrepreneurs, calling them “the unsung heroes of the digital age.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, speaking on Air Force One en route to the assembly, declined to directly respond to Trump’s assertions about U.S. technological dominance. She reiterated the administration’s commitment to responsible AI development and noted that President Biden had signed an executive order establishing safeguards for federal use of AI systems. “We believe in leading with values,” she said, “not just with market share.”
Despite the partisan undertones of Trump’s remarks, several technology policy experts say the underlying tension between innovation and regulation reflects genuine uncertainty about how best to manage AI’s rapid evolution. Dr. Amy Gutmann, director of the Center for Technology and National Security at Georgetown University, noted that while the U.S. maintains strengths in research and hardware, global leadership in AI will depend on factors including talent retention, infrastructure investment, and public trust — areas where regulation may play a constructive role rather than an obstructive one.
“The question isn’t whether to regulate AI, but how,” Gutmann said. “Blanket rejection of oversight ignores the legitimate concerns of citizens, businesses, and governments worldwide. Smart regulation can actually enhance competitiveness by creating predictable environments for investment and deployment.”
Trump is scheduled to meet with several world leaders during the General Assembly high-level week, including counterparts from India and Brazil. His appearances have drawn significant media attention, underscoring the continued influence of his brand of conservative populism within American politics and beyond.
The UNDGA session continues through Friday, with AI governance expected to feature prominently in side events and bilateral meetings. As nations grapple with balancing innovation, security, and ethical considerations, Trump’s defiant stance signals that the transnational debate over AI regulation is far from settled.
