'I'm In High Demand for Friendships,' Declares Trump Following Tech Magnate Associations
Tech CEOs' political visit to meet with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida persisted, as the CEO of TikTok paid a visit on Monday.
TikTok's leading executive marks the latest in a series of business heads making their way to Florida ahead of Trump's inauguration as the 47th President of the United States next month.
Some notable executives who have attended these meetings include those from Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and OpenAI. However, they have remained unwilling to disclose the details of their discussions with Trump. No official comments regarding these meetings, their purposes, or anticipated results have been provided by any of the aforementioned companies upon request.
Despite the lack of information from these meetings, it is plausible that certain topics were discussed.
Potentially Discussed Topics
- Data Centers and AI: With aspirations towards artificial intelligence, each firm must increase its existing data centers and construct new ones. According to Barclays, AI is expected to more than double current data center usage by 2030. While both Republicans and Democrats seek to maintain the U.S.'s position in AI for economic, national security, and future governance purposes, there is no consensus on how to power AI's future. It appears that such a notion may have been brought up during the discussions.
- Intellectual Property: For years, U.S. companies have turned to China for manufacturing due to lower labor, production, and shipping costs. However, concerns about patterns of IP theft and cybersecurity breaches by Chinese companies have led some manufacturers to reconsider these choices. Reports suggest that as many as 1 in 5 U.S. companies have suffered IP theft at their China-based properties. It is possible that this topic was raised during the discussions.
- AI Regulatory and Legal Uncertainties: Over two dozen AI-related lawsuits are currently in progress, according to the Copyright Alliance. Furthermore, legislation addressing regulatory oversight of AI had been stalled prior to the November 2020 Presidential election. As a result, some leaders may have suggested "common-sense" concepts for potential inclusion in upcoming AI statutes and legislation.
- Threatened CHIPS Act Repeal: During his presidential campaign, Trump threatened to repeal the $53 billion CHIPS and Science Act, aimed at revitalizing advanced semiconductor production in the U.S. Currently, 90% of advanced chips, including those utilized in AI, are produced in Taiwan. There is a possibility that China may invade Taiwan, which could halt U.S. advancement in the AI tech race. Thus, discussions regarding the CHIPS Act may have taken place as a contingency plan.
Trump's Second Term Differentiated from the First in Tech Matters
The president-elect currently enjoys a 50% approval rating, his highest since April 2017, and was named TIME Magazine's 2024 Person of the Year.
Regardless of these numbers' duration, Eleanor Lightbody, CEO of legal AI platform Luminance, believes that this term will be significantly different for Trump from his previous term, particularly in terms of technology.
“President-elect Trump will lead during a crucial period in AI's development. His administration has the potential to foster innovation through deregulation and global competitiveness,” Lightbody stated in an email message. “However, careful navigation is required to ensure that ethical safeguards are not neglected.”
“The influence of figures like Elon Musk and AI Czar David Sacks underscores the growing role that private industry will play in shaping AI's future,” Lightbody concluded. “For countries aiming to lead in AI, the incoming four years offer a chance to set the agenda for AI's global path—one that prioritizes progress, trust, and ethical advancement.”
- During their meetings, it's speculated that the CEO of TikTok and other tech leaders, including those from Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and OpenAI, discussed the need for increased data centers to support artificial intelligence growth, as predicted by Barclays.
- The topic of intellectual property theft and cybersecurity breaches by Chinese companies might have been raised, considering the concerns of U.S. companies facing such issues in China.
- Regulatory and legal uncertainties surrounding AI could have been brought up, given the high number of ongoing lawsuits and stalled legislation concerning AI statutes and regulatory oversight.
- Discussions on the potential repeal of the CHIPS Act may have taken place, as a contingency plan to counter potential threats to advanced chip production due to China's possible invasion of Taiwan.
Google's CEO, Apple's executive team, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, and the leaders of OpenAI and Amazon might have also discussed tariffs, considering their impact on tech companies and potential partnerships with tech giants like Google, who have strong stakes in various sectors, including hardware, internet, and AI technology. Moreover, if Meta and other companies have a significant presence in China, tariff discussions could be critical to their growth strategies.
