Trump focuses on advanced AI technology

U.S. President Donald Trump recognizes the real threat posed by China challenging the U.S. and views advanced AI technologies as a framework of hegemonic competition, linking industry and national security. On his first day in office, he signed an executive order directing the development of an action plan to secure U.S. AI dominance within 180 days and took measures to ban the export of advanced AI semiconductors to China. OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank joined the announcement of the “Stargate” project, a $500 billion investment aimed at securing AI infrastructure. The initiative also includes commitments to help secure power resources to support the expansion of AI data centers.

Even the world's strongest AI nation is pressed for time, yet Korea remains all talk. The Power Grid Expansion Special Act and the High-Level Radioactive Waste Special Act, both crucial for investing in power-hungry AI infrastructure, have yet to pass the National Assembly, which is dominated by the Democratic Party, led by Lee, who is “obsessed with ChatGPT.” If they were serious about investing in AI, it shouldn’t be taking this long.

President Trump empowered U.S. big tech CEOs by giving them the seat of honor during his highly anticipated inauguration ceremony. When Chinese AI startup DeepSeek unveiled R1, a machine with inference capabilities comparable to ChatGPT’s but developed with one-tenth the investment and manpower, he criticized U.S. companies, saying, “(DeepSeek's AI) seems to be faster and much cheaper than the American product.”It’s Trump’s way of keeping China in check—not ignoring its technology—while pushing and pulling U.S. companies to drive competition and innovation.

President Trump won two presidential elections because his America First campaign, which has deeply infiltrated the livelihood of ordinary Americans, resonated with voters. Where Lee differs from Trump is that his growth thesis lacks the “kick” to get people's hearts racing.