Who Controls U.S. AI Strategy Against China | Tech News

The Trump administration is locked in a high-stakes battle to outpace China’s surging AI capabilities, with a fractured group of officials pushing competing strategies. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick seeks to bolster U.S. labs with open-weight models while downplaying Chinese advances, while National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross pushes for tighter controls on Chinese AI labs. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent labels China’s use of U.S. models as IP theft, demanding sanctions and faster U.S. development. But behind the scenes, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles holds the ultimate power, deciding which policies reach the president—and shaping America’s AI future. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f347cf518691fde0