US vice president warns global leaders against striking AI deals with ‘authoritarian regimes’ in a veiled jab at China.

United States Vice President JD Vance has warned against “excessive regulation” of artificial intelligence at a Paris summit on the technology, warning both European allies and rivals like China against tightening governmental grip.

“Excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative sector just as it’s taking off,” Vance told global leaders, tech industry chiefs and policymakers gathered on Tuesday at the French capital’s Grand Palais.

A three-way race for AI dominance has emerged at the summit, with Europe seeking to regulate and invest, China expanding access through state-backed tech giants and the US, under President Donald Trump, championing a hands-off approach.

In a thinly veiled jab against China, Vance also warned global leaders against striking artificial intelligence deals with “authoritarian regimes”.

“Partnering with them means chaining your nation to an authoritarian master that seeks to infiltrate, dig in and seize your information infrastructure,” he said.

He said the Trump administration will “ensure that AI systems developed in America are free from ideological bias,” and that the US would “never restrict our citizens’ right to free speech”.

For its part, Europe has pledged an additional 50 billion euros ($51.6bn) to bolster the bloc’s AI ambition, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday.

It will come on top of the European AI Champions Initiative, which has already pledged 150 billion euros ($154.8bn) from providers, investors and industry, von der Leyen said at the event.

Also among the high-profile attendees at the summit is Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, reflecting Beijing’s interest in shaping global AI standards.

Zhang said China is willing to work with other countries to safeguard security and share achievements in the field, in order to build “a community with a shared future for mankind”, according to state news agency Xinhua.

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 US Congress to limit its use over security concerns. China promotes open-source AI, arguing that accessibility will ensure global AI benefits.

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 defence 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, who oversees NATO’s modernisation efforts.

Separately, a high-stakes battle over AI power is escalating in the private sector.

A $97.4bn bid by investors led by Elon Musk – who now heads Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency – to acquire the nonprofit behind OpenAI has been rejected by its CEO, Sam Altman, who is also attending the Paris summit.