Trump’s Paris AI summit delegation will not include AI safety experts, sources reveal

The U.S. delegation to an upcoming AI summit in Paris will not include technical staff from the U.S. AI Safety Institute, marking a shift in approach under the Trump administration.

Key details: Vice President JD Vance will lead the U.S. delegation to the Paris AI summit on February 10-11, which will bring together representatives from approximately 100 countries.

• The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy will be represented by Principal Deputy Director Lynne Parker and Senior Policy Advisor Sriram Krishnan
• Plans for Homeland Security and Commerce Department officials to attend have been canceled
• Representatives from the U.S. AI Safety Institute, who were originally scheduled to attend, will no longer be part of the delegation

Administrative context: The Trump administration’s approach to AI governance shows signs of departing from previous policies established under the Biden administration.

• The AI Safety Institute, created during Biden’s presidency, currently operates without a director
• Trump has already revoked a Biden-era AI executive order
• Sources suggest the Paris summit absence may be related to the Commerce Department’s ongoing transition following Trump’s January inauguration

Summit focus and participation: The Paris gathering differs from previous international AI conferences in its emphasis and scope.

• Unlike previous summits in Bletchley Park and Seoul, this meeting will focus less on AI risks and more on AI’s potential
• The International Network of AI Safety Institutes, chaired by the United States, is expected to maintain a presence
• U.S. delegates may still participate in the network’s discussions despite the AI Safety Institute staff’s absence

Technical collaboration background: The AI Safety Institute has established important partnerships within the tech industry.

• The institute has signed agreements with prominent AI companies OpenAI and Anthropic for safety testing
• It has positioned itself as a bipartisan organization focused on measuring and mitigating AI risks
• The institute’s future role and direction under the new administration remain unclear

Strategic implications: The changing dynamics of global AI development influence U.S. policy priorities.

• China’s recent advances in AI technology have heightened the importance of maintaining U.S. leadership in innovation
• The composition of the U.S. delegation could signal a shift in how the administration approaches international AI cooperation and governance

Policy transition analysis: The reshaping of the U.S. AI delegation reflects broader changes in administrative priorities and raises questions about the future direction of American AI policy and international engagement on AI governance issues.