Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff under former President Donald Trump, is advocating for a stricter U.S. stance on artificial intelligence regulation, positioning herself against a group of influential technology executives and advisers who favor a lighter regulatory approach. Wiles, known for her composed and efficient style, is leading efforts to persuade Trump to adopt tougher controls amid growing concerns over the potential risks posed by AI.
Trump has so far sided with advisers such as David Sacks, chair of the White House council of advisers on science and technology, as well as tech leaders including Elon Musk, Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, and Sam Altman of OpenAI. These figures oppose significant regulatory intervention, emphasizing skepticism of government overreach. Sacks, in particular, has cautioned that calls for AI regulation echo past "fear-mongering" around issues like climate change, and he has urged Trump to resist what he describes as political pressure to impose heavy-handed restrictions.
Wiles is reportedly supported by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who has expressed particular concern about the vulnerability of the U.S. banking system to hostile AI attacks. This faction within the administration is actively reviewing risks associated with AI and exploring regulatory proposals aimed at preventing catastrophic outcomes.
Vice President JD Vance appears to occupy a middle ground, balancing support from the predominantly male tech sector with an awareness of the potential threats that AI could pose to critical infrastructure.
Trump has repeatedly rejected calls for formal regulation, asserting that strong presidential leadership is sufficient to manage the technology’s development. One notable regulatory proposal came from Demis Hassabis, chief scientist at Alphabet’s DeepMind, who suggested the formation of an industry-funded body analogous to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, which oversees brokerage firms. This idea was reportedly opposed by Musk, Huang, and Zuckerberg, who successfully persuaded Trump against establishing such an organization.
The former president plans to convene AI company executives at the White House in the coming week, and Jensen Huang is expected to attend a state dinner with President Xi Jinping of China, highlighting ongoing high-level engagement between the U.S. and international tech leaders.
Amid these internal disputes, the Democratic Party has seized on AI regulation as a potential political advantage. Former President Barack Obama recently urged House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats to make AI governance a central issue for the 2028 presidential campaign, emphasizing the need for clear safety and economic policies on emerging technologies. This stance signals a growing partisan divide over how best to address the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence.