In his blog post “The golden opportunity for American AI”, Brad Smith, vice chairman and president of Microsoft, offers an optimistic and strategic view of the United States’ position in the global AI race. It highlights several fundamental pillars on which this competitive advantage will be based: cutting-edge technology, massive investments, reinforced international cooperation and pragmatic public policy.
For Brad Smith, with AI, the United States has a unique opportunity to consolidate its technological and economic leadership. According to him, AI is on the verge of becoming, like electricity before it, a general-purpose technology, that is, a technology that has the power to continually transform itself and change the world.
“In many ways, artificial intelligence is the electricity of our time, and the next four years can lay the foundation for America’s economic success for the next quarter century.”
A technological advance and strategic investments
Brad Smith points out that American companies, thanks to their mastery of advanced technologies such as chips, AI models and software infrastructure, enjoy a head start over their Chinese counterparts. The United States must continue to invest in cutting-edge AI technologies and the infrastructure needed to support these innovations.
Of the $80 billion that Microsoft plans to invest in fiscal 2025 to build data centers dedicated to training AI models and deploying AI-based applications, more than half will be devoted to the United States. At the same time, the company will invest $35 billion in 14 countries to develop secure data center infrastructure, strengthening its overall AI and cloud capabilities. These efforts are complemented by strategic partnerships, such as that with G42 in the United Arab Emirates, and the creation of global investment funds to support the expansion of AI.
The CEO also emphasizes the growing role of the private sector and US capital markets in the expansion of AI platforms internationally. In his eyes, these investments surpass Chinese public subsidies, particularly in strategic regions such as Africa, Asia and Latin America, where China has historically concentrated its efforts via its “Belt and Road” initiative.
Preparing American Workers for the Jobs of Tomorrow
The spread of AI in the U.S. economy will largely depend on the ability of workers to adapt and exploit these tools. The United States has strengths including a network of community colleges and strong public-private partnerships. But to truly democratize the benefits of AI, we will need to go beyond technological elites and include populations often marginalized by technological advances. Microsoft will lead by example by training 2.5 million U.S. students, workers and community members in AI skills this year.
International cooperation and regulatory leadership
For Brad Smith, international cooperation, particularly between democracies in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific, is essential to strengthen the American position. Common regulatory frameworks, emerging from forums like the G7, strengthen the credibility and attractiveness of American technologies while also ensuring high standards in cybersecurity, privacy and responsible use of AI, criteria essential to gaining global trust.
A balanced and proactive public policy
According to Brad Smith, the new administration of Donald Trump will play a crucial role in adopting policies that stimulate the private sector while freeing it from excessive regulations. He advocates for a pragmatic export control strategy that protects sensitive technologies while allowing rapid expansion into international markets.