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Trump AI Czar Downplays Risk of AI Chip Smuggling, Warns Against Overregulation

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David Sacks, the White House AI czar under former President Donald Trump, on Tuesday minimized concerns about American AI chips being smuggled to adversaries, emphasizing the physical size and security of such equipment. Speaking at the AWS summit in Washington, Sacks explained that AI chips are housed in massive server racks weighing two tons, making clandestine smuggling highly unlikely.

Sacks expressed worries that stringent U.S. AI regulations could hinder innovation and growth, potentially ceding the global AI market to China. “We talk about these chips like they could be smuggled in the back of a briefcase. That’s not what they look like,” he said. He criticized efforts by state legislatures to regulate AI and permitting obstacles for data center construction.

Contrasting with President Joe Biden’s policies, which focused on curbing chip exports to China and addressing risks of AI misuse, the Trump administration revoked several Biden-era executive orders aimed at controlling AI diffusion and competition. Sacks argued that the Biden restrictions risk pushing countries like the United Arab Emirates closer to China, citing a recent U.S.-UAE plan to build a major AI campus abroad.

“We rescinded that Biden diffusion rule, which…made diffusion a bad word. Diffusion of our technology should be a good word,” Sacks said.

He warned that if AI chips made by Chinese giant Huawei become widespread globally within five years, it would signify a strategic loss for the U.S. Highlighting the rapid pace of Chinese AI development, Sacks stated, “China is not years and years behind us in AI. Maybe they’re three to six months.” The White House later clarified that Chinese AI chips lag one to two years behind U.S. technology, while their AI models are closer in capability.

UAE to Build World’s Largest AI Campus Outside U.S. Under Landmark Trump-Era Deal

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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United States have signed a historic technology agreement to construct the largest artificial intelligence campus outside the U.S., signaling a major policy shift that clears the way for the UAE to access advanced U.S. AI chips, particularly from Nvidia.

Finalized during President Donald Trump’s visit to Abu Dhabi, the deal marks a significant easing of restrictions that previously barred such transfers over U.S. concerns about China’s access to critical technologies.

Key Components of the Agreement:

  • The AI campus, covering 10 square miles (25.9 km²), will be located in Abu Dhabi and have 5 gigawatts of power, enough to support 2.5 million Nvidia B200 chips, per estimates by Rand Corporation analyst Lennart Heim.

  • The facility will be developed by G42, a UAE state-backed firm, but operated and managed by American companies, ensuring compliance with U.S. security protocols.

  • The UAE has committed to build or finance data centers in the U.S. that are at least as powerful as those in the UAE, reinforcing reciprocal investment and security alignment.

Chip Access and U.S. Industry Involvement:

  • Sources say the UAE could be permitted to import up to 500,000 of Nvidia’s most advanced chips annually beginning in 2025.

  • The agreement includes support from U.S. tech giants:

    • Amazon Web Services will collaborate on cybersecurity and cloud adoption.

    • Qualcomm will help establish an AI engineering center in the region.

“American companies will operate the data centers and offer American-managed cloud services throughout the region,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.

Strategic Implications:

The deal represents a recalibration of UAE tech policy, allowing it to:

  • Deepen ties with the U.S. on strategic technologies like compute infrastructure and cloud services

  • Maintain economic ties with China, while minimizing reliance on Chinese hardware in critical infrastructure

“It doesn’t mean abandoning China,” said Mohammed Soliman of the Middle East Institute, “but recalibrating tech strategy to align with U.S. standards where it matters most.”

Geopolitical Context:

  • Under Biden, export controls were imposed to prevent chip diversion to China, limiting UAE access.

  • The Trump administration has reversed course, with AI czar David Sacks stating the Biden-era rules were “never intended to capture friends, allies, or strategic partners.”

  • In recent months, G42 and MGX have cut Chinese hardware use and divested from Chinese holdings to meet U.S. compliance conditions.

Still, Huawei and Alibaba Cloud remain active in the UAE, and past AI chip smuggling routes through Singapore, Malaysia, and the UAE have raised flags among U.S. regulators.

This deal marks a strategic turning point not just for U.S.-UAE relations, but for the global AI infrastructure race, cementing the UAE’s ambition to become a top-tier AI superpower—with Washington’s blessing.

OpenAI Calls for U.S. Investment and Regulation to Maintain AI Leadership Over China

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OpenAI released its “Economic Blueprint” on Monday, emphasizing the need for the U.S. to attract investment and implement strategic regulations to retain its dominance in artificial intelligence (AI) as competition with China intensifies. The 15-page document outlined essential steps for the U.S. to secure its position, highlighting the importance of chips, data, and energy as critical components in the global AI race.

The release of this vision comes just ahead of President-elect Donald Trump taking office, whose administration is anticipated to be more supportive of the tech sector. David Sacks, a former PayPal executive, is expected to play a key role as the administration’s AI and crypto policy lead. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who donated approximately $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, joins other industry leaders in seeking to establish closer ties with the new administration.

Calls for Investment and Regulation

OpenAI warned that an estimated $175 billion in global funds is poised for investment in AI projects, stressing that the U.S. must act swiftly to attract these resources. “If the U.S. doesn’t secure these funds, they will flow to China-backed projects, strengthening the Chinese Communist Party’s global influence,” the blueprint stated.

The company also proposed export controls on advanced AI models to prevent their misuse by adversarial nations. This move aligns with growing concerns about how AI technologies could be weaponized or otherwise used to undermine global stability.

Washington Push and Funding Strategy

OpenAI plans to host an event in Washington, D.C., later this month to further discuss its recommendations and rally support for its initiatives. This advocacy comes as the Microsoft-backed startup aims to expand its funding base. OpenAI raised $6.6 billion last year and is looking to convert into a for-profit business model to sustain its growth in the increasingly competitive and costly AI sector.

As part of its vision, OpenAI urged the U.S. to establish a national framework for AI regulation, which would balance innovation with security concerns. Such a framework would also help cement the U.S.’s leadership in shaping global AI standards.