OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joined executives from Microsoft, AMD, and CoreWeave to testify before Congress on the future of artificial intelligence and the growing technological competition with China. The hearing underscored the urgent need for infrastructure investment, regulatory clarity, and strategic policy to secure U.S. leadership in AI innovation.
Altman, whose company developed ChatGPT, emphasized AI’s transformative potential, calling it a revolution as impactful as the internet perhaps even greater. “For that to happen, investment in infrastructure is critical,” he told lawmakers. He also highlighted the intertwined importance of advancements in both AI and energy production, predicting they will reshape society in “incredibly positive ways.”
Alongside Altman were Lisa Su, CEO of semiconductor leader AMD; Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft; and Michael Intrator, co-founder of AI cloud startup CoreWeave. The four industry leaders presented a unified front in calling for federal support to streamline AI-related projects and funding mechanisms, as well as for policies that address growing international competition, particularly from China and the European Union.
The testimony spanned a wide range of issues, including the technical challenges of chip manufacturing, the impact of AI on jobs and interpersonal relationships, and the massive power demands AI systems impose. Lisa Su stressed the critical role of advanced semiconductors in powering AI, while Intrator pointed to the need for reliable cloud infrastructure to support AI workloads.
A central theme was the geopolitical implications of AI development. As U.S. firms compete with Chinese tech giants in a global AI race, lawmakers and executives alike expressed concern about maintaining American leadership in the sector. “This is not just an economic issue,” said Smith of Microsoft. “It’s about national security and global influence.”
With the stakes high and progress accelerating, the hearing highlighted a rare moment of bipartisan consensus: that artificial intelligence represents a defining challenge and opportunity for the U.S. one that demands proactive investment, thoughtful regulation, and international cooperation.
