Scale AI’s Alexandr Wang Urges Trump to Boost AI Investment in Open Letter

In a bold move to advocate for increased governmental support for artificial intelligence, Alexandr Wang, CEO of Scale AI, has taken out a full-page advertisement in The Washington Post. The ad calls on the Trump administration to enhance investment in AI technology, emphasizing the urgency of the U.S. maintaining its competitive edge against China.

Wang’s Call to Action for AI Development

Wang, who attended Trump’s inauguration alongside other notable tech leaders, shared a copy of the ad on X (formerly Twitter). The ad begins with a powerful message: “Dear President Trump, America must win the AI War.” In his letter, Wang outlines five critical steps he believes the U.S. should take to secure victory in what he describes as an “AI war” against China.

Five Recommendations for the New Administration

In the comprehensive letter, which is available online, Wang suggests the following five strategies:

• Increase federal investment: Emulating tech companies, the government should allocate more resources toward data and computational power.
• Review regulations: Reassessing current laws to foster the growth of AI-related job opportunities.
• Prepare federal agencies: Ensure that agencies are “AI-ready” by 2027.
• Electricity accessibility: Implement a robust and affordable electricity plan to support AI-focused data centers.
• AI safety measures: Introduce effective strategies for AI safety and ethical development.

Scale AI’s Position in the AI Landscape

Scale AI, known for its data labeling and processing services for major organizations, was valued at an impressive $13.8 billion last year. Wang’s recommendations could significantly benefit the company, particularly through increased government spending on data initiatives. As a current contractor for the U.S. government, Scale is positioned to play a vital role in upcoming defense startup collaborations.

Moreover, more favorable regulations and the promotion of AI-related jobs would align well with Scale’s operational model, which relies heavily on contract workers. However, some workers have recently raised concerns regarding their classification through lawsuits.

U.S.-China AI Competition: A New Arms Race

Wang emphasizes the pressing need for the U.S. to stay ahead of China in AI development, describing it as a “new kind of technological arms race.” He points to China’s unprecedented investment in AI, citing how the Chinese government is rapidly advancing in this field.

Chinese AI models, such as DeepSeek, have gained recognition for their exceptional performance on various industry benchmarks. Wang notes that China is quickly narrowing the gap with the U.S., a sentiment echoed by numerous leaders in the AI sector.

Concerns Over the ‘AI War’ Narrative

Despite Wang’s intentions, his characterization of U.S.-China AI competition as a “war” has prompted pushback from some industry insiders. Emmett Shear, the former CEO of Twitch and briefly OpenAI, criticized this framing, stating, “This is a horrible framing – we are not at war. We are all in this together, and if we make AI development into a war, we are likely to all die.”

The Future of AI Policy Under Trump

As the Trump administration considers its response to Wang’s recommendations, it remains to be seen how it will approach AI policy. So far, the administration’s primary action has been to revoke the previous executive order aimed at addressing flaws and biases in AI models.

For more insights on the impact of AI regulations, check out our article on AI Regulations and Their Impact.