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U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday warned global leaders and tech industry executives that “excessive regulation” could cripple the rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry in a rebuke to European efforts to curb AI’s risks.The speech underscored a widening, three-way rift over AI.The United States, under President Donald Trump, champions a hands-off approach to fuel innovation, while Europe is tightening the reins with strict regulations to ensure safety and accountability. Meanwhile, China is rapidly expanding AI through state-backed tech giants, vying for dominance in the global race.The U.S. was noticeably absent from a joint statement signed by more than 60 nations, pledging to “promote AI accessibility to reduce digital divides” and “ensure AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy.”The agreement also called for “making AI sustainable for people and the planet” and protecting “human rights, gender equality, linguistic diversity, protection of consumers and of intellectual property rights.”In a surprise, China long criticized for its human rights record signed the declaration, leaving the U.S. as the outlier. Vance’s debut At the summit, Vance made his first major policy speech since becoming vice president last month, framing AI as an economic turning point but cautioning that “at this moment, we face the extraordinary prospect of a new industrial revolution, one on par with the invention of the steam engine.”“But it will never come to pass if overregulation deters innovators from taking the risks necessary to advance the ball,” Vance added.The 40-year-old vice president, leveraging the AI summit and a security conference in Munich later this week, is seeking to project Trump’s forceful new style of diplomacy.The Trump administration will “ensure that AI systems developed in America are free from ideological bias,” Vance said and pledged the U.S. would “never restrict our citizens’ right to free speech.” A growing divide Vance also took aim at foreign governments for “tightening the screws” on U.S. tech firms, saying such moves were troubling. His remarks underscored the growing divide between Washington and its European allies on AI governance.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that, “AI needs the confidence of the people and has to be safe” and detailed EU guidelines intended to standardize the bloc’s AI Act but acknowledged concerns over regulatory burden.“At the same time, I know that we have to make it easier and we have to cut red tape and we will,” she added.She also announced that the “InvestAI” initiative had reached a total of 200 billion in AI investments across Europe, including 20 billion dedicated to AI gigafactories. A race for AI dominance The summit laid bare competing global AI strategies Europe pushing to regulate and invest, China expanding AI through state-backed giants, and the U.S. doubling down on an unregulated, free-market approach.French President Emmanuel Macron positioned Europe as a “third way” in the AI race, one that avoids dependence on major powers like the U.S. and China.“We want a fair and open access to these innovations for the whole planet,” he said in his closing speech, arguing that the AI sector “needs rules” on a global scale to build public trust and urging greater “international governance.”Macron also hailed newly announced investments in France and across Europe, underscoring the continent’s ambitions in AI. “We’re in the race,” he said.Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, special envoy of Xi Jinping, reinforced Beijing’s intent to shape global AI standards.Vance, a vocal critic of European content moderation policies, has suggested the U.S. should reconsider its NATO commitments if European governments impose restrictions on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X. His Paris visit was also expected to include candid discussions on Ukraine, AI’s role in global power shifts, and U.S.-China tensions. How to regulate AI? Concerns over AI’s potential dangers have loomed over the summit, particularly as nations grapple with how to regulate a technology that is increasingly entwined with defense and warfare.“I think one day we will have to find ways to control AI or else we will lose control of everything,” said Admiral Pierre Vandier, NATO’s commander who oversees the alliance’s modernization efforts.Beyond diplomatic tensions, a global public-private partnership is being launched called “Current AI,” aimed at supporting large-scale AI initiatives for the public good.Analysts see this as an opportunity to counterbalance the dominance of private companies in AI development. However, it remains unclear whether the U.S. will support such efforts.Separately, a high-stakes battle over AI power is escalating in the private sector.A group of investors led by Musk who now heads Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency has made a $97.4 billion bid to acquire the nonprofit behind OpenAI. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, attending the Paris summit, swiftly rejected the offer on X. The US-China rivalry In Beijing, officials on Monday condemned Western efforts to restrict access to AI tools, while Chinese company DeepSeek’s new AI chatbot has prompted calls in the U.S. Congress to limit its use over security concerns. China promotes open-source AI, arguing that accessibility will ensure global AI benefits.French organizers hope the summit will boost investment in Europe’s AI sector, positioning the region as a credible contender in an industry shaped by U.S.-China competition.French President Emmanuel Macron, addressing the energy demands of AI, contrasted France’s nuclear-powered approach with the U.S.’s reliance on fossil fuels, quipping: France won’t “drill, baby, drill,” but “plug, baby, plug.”Vance’s diplomatic tour will continue in Germany, where he will attend the Munich Security Conference and press European allies to increase commitments to NATO and Ukraine. He may also meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Talking Ukraine and Middle East with Macron Vance will discuss Ukraine and the Middle East over a working lunch with Macron.Like Trump, he has questioned U.S. aid to Kyiv and the broader Western strategy toward Russia. Trump has pledged to end the war in Ukraine within six months of taking office.Vance is also set to meet separately with Idian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Associated Press writers Sylvie Corbet and Kelvin Chan in Paris contributed to this report. Aamer Madhani and Thomas Adamson, Associated Press
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U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum “will not go unanswered,” European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen vowed on Tuesday, adding that they will trigger tough countermeasures from the 27-nation bloc. It means iconic U.S. industries like bourbon, jeans and motorcycles should beware.“The EU will act to safeguard its economic interests,” von der Leyen said in a statement in reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum the previous day.“Tariffs are taxes bad for business, worse for consumers,” von der Leyen said. “Unjustified tariffs on the EU will not go unanswered they will trigger firm and proportionate countermeasures.”Just as Trump imposed similar tariffs during his first presidency, the EU countermeasures could easily amount to those that were used to retaliate then if the measures come into force March 12.Bernd Lange, the chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee, warned that previous trade measures were only suspended and could legally be easily revived.“When he starts again now, then we will, of course, immediately reinstate our countermeasures,” Lange told rbb24 German radio.“Motorcycles, jeans, peanut butter, bourbon, whiskey and a whole range of products that of course also affect American exporters” would be targeted, he added.The EU Commission, which negotiates trade relations on behalf of the bloc, said it is not clear what countermeasures would apply, but officials and observers have said they would target Republican states and traditionally strong U.S. exports.In Germany, which is the EU’s largest economy, Chancellor Olaf Scholz told parliament that “if the U.S. leaves us no other choice, then the European Union will react united,” adding: “Ultimately, trade wars always cost both sides prosperity.”Trump is hitting foreign steel and aluminum with a 25% tax in the hope that they will give local producers relief from intense global competition, allowing them to charge higher prices.EU Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič said Tuesday that the tariffs are “economically counterproductive, especially given the deeply integrated production chains established through our extensive transatlantic trade and investment ties.”“We will protect our workers, businesses and consumers,” Šefčovič said, but added that “it is not our preferred scenario. We remain committed to constructive dialog. We stand ready for negotiations and to find mutually beneficial solutions where possible.”The EU estimates that the trade volume between both sides stands at about $1.5 trillion, representing some 30% of global trade. “There is a lot at stake for both sides,” he told the EU legislature.While the bloc has a substantial export surplus in goods, it says that is partly offset by the U.S. surplus in the trade of services.The EU says that trade in goods reached 851 billion euros ($878 billion) in 2023, with a trade surplus of 156 billion euros ($161 billion) for the EU. Trade in services was worth 688 billion euros ($710 billion) with a trade deficit of 104 billion euros ($107 billion) for the EU. Geir Moulson contributed from Berlin, Lorne Cook from Brussels Raf Casert, Associated Press
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Fox Sports is projecting a Super Bowl record average audience of 126 million U.S. viewers across television and streaming platforms for Philadelphia’s 40-22 victory over Kansas City on Sunday night.The game was televised by Fox, Fox Deportes and Telemundo and streamed on Tubi as well as the NFL’s digital platforms.Fox’s projections on Monday included Nielsen’s early numbers and streaming data from Tubi and the NFL. Updated and more complete numbers were expected on Tuesday.It would be the second straight year the Super Bowl has reached a record audience. The Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime victory over San Francisco last year averaged 123.7 million on CBS, Nickelodeon, Univision and streaming platforms.According to Fox, the audience peaked at 135.7 million in the second quarter.The early data projects 14.5 million watched on streaming platforms, including 13.6 million on Tubi, where the game was available for free.Some of the increase can be attributed to a change in the way viewers are counted. This is the first year Nielsen is measuring out-of-home viewers for all states but Hawaii and Alaska.It was previously the top 44 media markets, which covered 65% of the country.The ratings also include Nielsen data from smart TVs along with cable and satellite set-top boxes.After two straight years of close Super Bowls, Sunday’s game was decided in the first half as Philadelphia built a 24-0 lead.This Super Bowl also had Donald Trump and Taylor Swift in attendance.Trump was the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl, while Swift’s romance with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce continues to keep the pop superstar’s fans interested in the NFL.It was the third straight year the Super Bowl averaged more than 100 million viewers after a period where four of the five games before 2023 had fallen short of that number because of cord-cutting. That included 95.2 million for the 2021 Super Bowl between Tampa Bay and Kansas City, which was the game’s lowest TV-only average since 2007.The NFL playoffs averaged 35.2 million viewers the first three weekends, down 9% from last year’s record of 38.5 million.That followed a regular season that averaged 17.5 million. While that was the sixth-highest average dating to 1995, it was a 2% decline from 2023. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Joe Reedy, AP Sports Writer
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