The executives of big tech companies like OpenAI, Microsoft and AMD have teamed up to urge the U.S. government to strengthen its AI infrastructure and maintain its lead against China.
The U.S. and China remained locked in a stalemate, with neither nation willing to concede ground in their conversations. Moving away from tariffs, the U.S. is now looking into strategies to maintain its dominant position in the AI industry.
OpenAI and other tech execs advise Congress to invest in AI infrastructure
During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on May 8, 2025, top executives from OpenAI , Microsoft, AMD, and CoreWeave met United States lawmakers to discuss strengthening its artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and revising export policies to stay a leg ahead of China.
The executives outlined the importance of strong infrastructure when it comes to AI innovation and development. OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, pointed out the huge increase in demand for computing power, chips, and energy with continued AI adoption.
Microsoft’s President, Brad Smith, echoed Altman’s sentiments. He pointed out that the current U.S. technology is outdated and will fail to match the power demands of AI usage, manufacturing reshoring, and electrification.
“The number-one factor that will define whether the U.S. or China wins this race is whose technology is most broadly adopted in the rest of the world,” he said . He also shared that his concerns about Chinese propaganda and leaking personal data to China caused his company to stop employees from using the Chinese-owned DeepSeek .
He urged the government to streamline the federal permitting processes for energy projects and expand access to government datasets for AI model training.
CoreWeave’s CEO, Michael Intrator, added to the conversation, stating that data centers might consume up to 12% of America’s electricity by 2028.
AMD’s CEO, Lisa Su, also addressed the need for broader AI integration into everyday devices. She stressed the importance of infrastructure in achieving this goal.
Maintaining leadership in AI technology is a priority
The hearing also involved discussions about the current U.S. export controls on AI chips. The big tech executives argued that these export restrictions, while they were intended to limit China’s access to advanced computing technologies, could also hinder American innovation and global competitiveness.
Microsoft’s Smith criticized the complexity of the current regulations, stating that they could benefit Chinese firms like Huawei by limiting the ability of companies within the U.S. to compete globally.
He proposed a more balanced approach to export control policy that would not hinder the international adoption of U.S.-developed AI technologies.
Lawmakers are also taking steps to address the concerns over AI chip smuggling to China. U.S. Representative Bill Foster plans to introduce strict regulations against the unauthorized export of Nvidia’s AI chips. He’s proposing on-chip location verification to prevent unauthorized chips from functioning.
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