That’s a wrap on the annual AI Action Summit. The AI Action Summit — an annual conference gathering together a who’s who of global AI business elites and several high profile government officials — offered a series of sharp exchanges and diplomatic snubs, alongside a peek at what we can expect from tech regulation in the coming period, writes the Guardian. From US chiding of China, to Europe’s regulatory stance and Elon Musk’s looming absence, the conference’s third edition in Paris offered a reminder that AI isn’t just about algorithms — it’s also about power.

The US came first: US Vice President JD Vance made it clear that America won't let regulation slow down its quest for AI dominance. Vance criticized Europe’s regulatory frameworks and warned against partnerships with authoritarian regimes, clearly referring to China. With Beijing’s AI ambitions growing rapidly, Vance’s speech — coming just weeks after China’s DeepSeek model shook up the industry — confirmed that Washington’s determination to maintain its lead has only strengthened. The ultimate message? The US will chart its own AI path, with or without global consensus.

Global AI governance? Not so fast… Despite calls for international cooperation, the summit ended with key players refusing to sign the diplomatic declaration on “inclusive and sustainable” AI. The US and UK opted out, with Britain citing the document’s failure to address AI’s impact on national security. French president Emmanuel Macron didn’t hold back on capitalizing on the US’ recent “America First” rhetoric, using the opening ceremony to pitch Europe as a global AI hub and even taking a jab at the US’ fossil fuel dependence.

AI safety also took a backseat. While previous AI summits featured safety at the forefront, the Paris gathering saw focus shift toward economic competition. Leading researchers noted their unhappiness with this move, with Yoshua Bengio, a leading AI researcher, saying that “we have a mental block on the idea that there will be machines that are smarter than us” and Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis noting that concerns around AI safety “are not far-off or far-fetched, nor are they limited to one particular geography. They are global concerns that require focused, international cooperation.”

Still, environmental and labor concerns got their moment. Macron’s AI envoy — Anne Bouverot — described AI’s energy consumption as “unsustainable,” while UNI Global Union’s Christy Hoffman warned that AI could deepen economic inequality.

China extended an olive branch — sort of. China’ s AI advancements were a major topic at the summit, even without DeepSeek’s founder Liang Wenfeng in attendance. The country’s vice premier Zhang Guoqing emphasized China’s willingness to collaborate on AI security — despite significant skepticism, especially from Washington. Zhipu, a Chinese AI company at the event, made headlines by predicting AI could reach “consciousness” by 2030.

The Musk factor. Musk may have not attended, but he was very much there in spirit. A consortium led by Musk last week launched a near-USD 100 bn bid for OpenAI’s non-profit arm, forcing CEO Sam Altman to address the elephant in the room. “The company is not for sale,” Altman told reporters, adding Musk’s offer was probably just an attempt to “slow us down.” In a not-so-subtle dig, Altman commented that, “Probably his whole life is from a position of insecurity — I feel for the guy.”

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