Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) CEO Sundar Pichai on Sunday called for clear, national-level artificial intelligence regulations to ensure the U.S. remains competitive with China while fostering innovation and safety.
State-By-State AI Laws Could Cripple US Competitiveness
In an interview on Fox News Sunday, Pichai warned that over 1,000 AI-related bills currently moving through state legislatures could create a confusing regulatory patchwork.
"How do you cope with those varied regulations, and how do you compete with countries like China, which are moving fast in this technology?" he asked.
Google Highlights AI's Benefits, Defensive Uses
Pichai stressed that AI has "great benefits," including the potential to develop new drugs and cancer treatments, but also carries risks if misused.
"Any technology has a dual side to it… The journey of humanity is always, ‘How do you harness technology to benefit society?' And I think this technology is no different," he said.
He highlighted Google's efforts to use AI defensively, such as SynthID, a DeepMind tool that detects AI-generated images and videos.
He also referenced a recent court ruling in Google's favor against a phishing operator that had targeted more than a million people globally.
"You want to use AI on the defense side too," Pichai said.
Looking ahead, Pichai discussed Google's "Suncatcher" initiative to build solar-powered AI data centers in space, predicting it could become a standard approach within a decade.
Energy And Regulation Emerge As Deciding Forces
Last month, Investor and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O'Leary said energy security was the true driver of next-generation AI infrastructure, arguing that only nations with abundant, affordable power would "win the AI race."
He pointed to his $70 billion Wonder Valley project in Canada as the largest AI data center in planning, outscaling major projects in the UAE, South Korea and Norway.
President Donald Trump similarly warned that China could overtake the U.S. without a unified federal AI framework, saying fragmented state rules and "overregulation" threatened America's competitive edge.
Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang echoed those concerns, saying China's cheaper energy and lighter regulations gave it a clear advantage.
He noted that tech giants like ByteDance, Alibaba Group Holdings (NYSE: BABA) and Tencent Holdings (OTC: TCEHY) benefited from subsidized power and domestic chips that reduced AI development costs.