Scale AI CEO writes full page Washington Post ad calling for US AI leadership

The big picture: Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang is launching a high-profile campaign urging President Trump to prioritize American leadership in artificial intelligence through a full-page Washington Post advertisement and detailed policy recommendations.

Key initiatives and recommendations: Wang’s proposed five-point plan emphasizes restructuring federal AI investments and modernizing government technology infrastructure.

• The plan calls for reallocating government AI funding to mirror private sector investment patterns: 60% for compute power, 30% for data, and 10% for algorithms
• Current federal spending allocates 90% to algorithmic research and only 10% combined for compute power and data
• Wang advocates for streamlining energy production regulations to encourage private sector investment
• The proposal emphasizes modernizing government data collection and storage systems for national security applications

Strategic context: Wang’s perspective on AI competition stems from both personal experience and industry expertise.

• As the world’s youngest self-made billionaire at age 28, Wang co-founded Scale AI in 2016 to help organizations train AI models
• The company, now valued at $14 billion, maintains a global network of contractors for AI data labeling and generation
• Wang’s background includes growing up near Los Alamos National Laboratory, influencing his views on national security and technological competition

Industry support and government engagement: The initiative has garnered attention from key technology leaders and government officials.

• Wang attended Trump’s inauguration alongside tech industry leaders including Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, and Mark Zuckerberg
• The Trump administration has shown receptiveness to input from tech industry veterans on AI policy
• Wang reports “uniform excitement about AI technology” among incoming administration officials

Position on AI safety and workforce impact: Wang advocates for a balanced approach to AI development and regulation.

• While acknowledging the importance of safety measures, Wang emphasizes that leadership should take priority over safety concerns
• He dismisses widespread fears about AI-related job losses, suggesting that proper policy support can help workers transition to new AI-created roles
• Wang argues that economic growth and job creation will result from AI advancement if managed effectively

Strategic implications: The increasing importance of computational power in AI development presents both opportunities and challenges for US leadership in the field.

• Modern AI models require significant processing power for advanced reasoning capabilities
• The US government possesses substantial data advantages in areas like national security that remain underutilized
• Competition with China’s AI investments continues to drive urgency for increased US commitment to technological advancement