Trump warns 'can't let China beat us' on AI, crypto

US President Donald Trump warned on Friday that Washington cannot allow Beijing to dominate artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, telling Punchbowl News that the US must win the technological race. Speaking in an interview published by the Capitol Hill-focused outlet, Trump emphasized that whoever wins the AI race controls a transformative force surpassing the internet "by many times."

"We don't want to see China take over crypto. I don't want to see China win with AI," Trump said. He added that "we can't let China beat us at this," stressing that the technology will reshape global commerce in ways exceeding anything previously imagined.

Digital currency shift

The president noted shifting consumer habits, observing that "I see it more and more where people are paying with Bitcoin and you know they don't even know about cash anymore." This trend underscores the urgency of American leadership in digital finance, he indicated.

State-level strategy

Trump also stated that if he were a governor he would cut taxes to attract data centers, describing the facilities as a major revenue source for states. His remarks come as Washington and Beijing escalate their rivalry over semiconductor supremacy and next-generation computing infrastructure.