J. D. Vance: Unregulated AI Boosts U.S. Workers, Innovators

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On Tuesday, Vice President J. D. Vance spoke at the Andreessen Horowitz American Dynamism Summit in Washington, D.C., emphasizing that the Trump administration's backing of AI and tech innovations should serve both populists and tech industry leaders and investors. Vance addressed the common fear surrounding AI, stating, “I think there’s too much fear that AI will simply replace jobs rather than augmenting so many of the things that we do now.” He recognized that, like the introduction of ATMs which displaced bank tellers, new technologies might lead to job displacement. However, he argued that history demonstrates that innovation tends to generate more engaging and higher-paying jobs. Vance critiqued the government's approach over the past 40 years, saying, “What I propose is that each group, our workers, the Populists on the one hand, the tech optimists on the other, have been failed by this government, not just the government of the last administration, but the government in some ways, of the last 40 years.” He suggested that the Trump administration's decision not to heavily regulate AI would allow the tech sector to innovate freely. Additionally, Vance touched on economic policies, arguing that “rearranging trade and tariff regime internationally” along with reduced immigration could discourage offshoring. He remarked, “Cheap labor is fundamentally a crutch, and it’s a crutch that inhibits innovation. We don’t want people seeking cheap labor. We want them investing and building right here in the United States of America.”

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