Director Kratsios’ Address at the APEC Digital and AI Ministerial Meeting
BOOSTING AMERICAN AI EXPORTS
AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY
Incheon, Korea
August 5, 2025
THE DIRECTOR: Thank you for that warm introduction.
Today, I am honored to stand before you at this Global Digital and AI Forum, representing the United States under the administration of President Donald J. Trump.
As many of you are aware, on July 23rd, the White House unveiled the President’s AI Action Plan. This initiative lays out our commitment to maintaining leadership in AI development and to being the preferred partner globally as this transformative technology reshapes industries and information exchange.
The United States is determined to expedite AI innovation, enhance infrastructure, and engage in AI diplomacy.
In fact, President Trump wasted no time in implementing the AI Action Plan, signing three executive orders shortly after announcing it. These orders include a directive to prohibit the U.S. government from procuring ideologically biased AI systems, a commitment to rapid investment in data centers and power systems, and a push to facilitate the export of comprehensive American AI technology packages to our allies.
This is precisely why I am here today. We envision AI as a robust instrument for diplomatic engagement. By offering the American AI stack, we aim to fortify our alliances, enhance each nation’s innovative capabilities, and foster a peaceful, prosperous future.
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In his address on the AI Action Plan, President Trump likened the global race for AI supremacy to the historic Space Race of the last century. He described this AI competition as “a test of our capacities unparalleled since the dawn of the Space Age.”
Embracing that sentiment, my colleague David Sacks, the White House AI Czar, has hailed the President’s remarks as the most consequential technology speech since President John F. Kennedy declared America’s mission to the Moon.
Time will likely validate Mr. Sacks’ assertion. As we gather here in 2025, we find ourselves in a moment reminiscent of President Kennedy’s words from 1962—a time of transformation and challenge, laden with both hope and uncertainty, and characterized by the dualities of knowledge and ignorance.
Our task is to tackle the transformations brought by AI with resilience for the benefit of our citizens, while nurturing the hope that these technologies become instruments of enlightenment rather than tools of fear.
This AI race—what Vice President J.D. Vance has termed an AI opportunity—is indeed akin to the Space Race. Yet, unlike J.F.K. who proposed a Moonshot, I come not to discuss a definitive end but rather an ongoing journey where wisdom and responsibility guide our path without a finish line.
As a representative of my administration, I focus not on the hypothetical technologies of tomorrow but on the viable technologies we can apply today. I am here to discuss economic partnerships and the shared prosperity we can forge right now.
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The Trump administration perceives AI as a catalyst for a new industrial and information revolution, and even a cultural renaissance. AI promises to enhance breakthroughs in materials, chemicals, medicine, and energy. It holds the potential to revolutionize education, media, and communication, rediscovering lost knowledge and illuminating overlooked aspects of our world. This technology represents not just a leap into the unknown, but an opening of doors we have yet to envision.
The genuine promise of this technological revolution lies not merely in AI systems themselves but in what our communities will achieve with them. Current AI applications are already positioned to significantly boost productivity across factories, offices, and laboratories. AI is advancing the digital revolution in healthcare and agriculture, while also enabling new sectors like robotics, drones, and autonomous vehicles.
Where this journey leads is uncertain, but the Trump administration is committed to ensuring that AI advancements improve the lives of all citizens.
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APEC was established to foster economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region, and the emergence of the AI age only amplifies that mission. In fact, I believe there has never been a better opportunity to enhance cooperation and dynamism within the Asia-Pacific community than the one presented by AI technology.
Thanks to President Trump, American AI is poised for business. We are ready to negotiate under the guidance of the ultimate dealmaker. As we speak, my office, alongside the Secretary of State, is collaborating with the Secretary of Commerce to launch the American AI Exports Program. This initiative will focus on developing and deploying the U.S. AI stack, tailored to meet the needs of each partner nation.
We are currently reviewing proposals from the American AI industry for comprehensive packages that will encompass AI-optimized hardware, data storage solutions, cloud services, data pipelines, AI models, cybersecurity systems, and applications tailored for specific sectors such as software engineering, education, healthcare, agriculture, and transportation.
To support priority AI export initiatives, the United States is prepared to leverage a range of federal financial tools, including loans, loan guarantees, equity investments, and technical assistance.
President Trump’s administration is unapologetically America First, prioritizing the interests of the American people. However, as AI reshapes the future of global commerce, it also presents opportunities for mutual gains.
We recognize that you, too, aspire to what is best for your nation. With the AI export packages we are developing, we aim to provide you with the AI sovereignty, data privacy, and technical customization that your citizens deserve. We are committed to facilitating America’s private sector in meeting your technological needs.
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By implementing the AI Action Plan, the Trump Administration intends to remove barriers hindering America’s AI innovators, fostering a competitive environment where creativity can flourish, and enabling companies to produce products that genuinely serve consumer needs. Our aim is to unleash the potential of private industry to commercialize groundbreaking technologies while preventing monopolistic practices and shaping the future. We believe excessive regulation incentivizes centralization and censorship.
The U.S. continues to hold a strong lead in supplying the world with AI infrastructure and applications. The disparity between the offerings of American AI and those of our closest competitors remains substantial. While rival AI systems may emerge, they often stem from American innovations—both models and discoveries. Historic powerhouse nations may boast rich cultural and technological legacies, but the United States remains the cradle of innovation and the birthplace of AI.
Other nations may strive to catch up to American breakthroughs, but they are still in pursuit. American firms and ideas continue to set the pace. This assertion extends beyond mere claims of technical prowess.
I also want to emphasize the independence and privacy that accompany AI technologies developed in the U.S. Our commitment to property rights and individual freedoms—yes, even our penchant for litigation—serves as a safeguard against threats to your sovereignty.
The President’s Action Plan reaffirms our commitment to supporting the development of open-source and open-weight AI models. We understand that your governments and leading businesses prioritize the careful management of sensitive data, which may not align with closed proprietary models. Indeed, the most effective open-source and open-weight models could very well set industry standards, and we are actively taking steps to empower their creators.
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This afternoon, I want to acknowledge that each APEC economy stands at a crossroads: you can choose to follow the overregulated European model, ultimately risking stagnation as neighboring states forge ahead into new frontiers. Alternatively, you can extend your hand for a deal. The next groundbreaking innovations will emerge from and with American technology; to fully harness this potential, you will want America’s AI infrastructure already in place.
While some nations may believe their role is to orchestrate an industrial and scientific apparatus for their own advancement, America has historically been the epicenter of global science and technology. Our experiment in self-governance has repeatedly granted innovators the freedom to propel humanity into new technological realms.
We assert that progress is best achieved through human judgment and collaborative efforts, grounded in political freedom, civic responsibility, sovereignty, and independence—rather than through global governance and technocratic oversight.
This vision is why the president has called upon us to usher in a new Golden Age, mirroring the spirit of discovery that shaped our nation from the wilderness, tamed the untamed West, and guided humanity to the moon. Americans have always been pioneers, explorers, and inventors, mastering each new scientific frontier to enhance safety, health, and prosperity for all.
With the dissemination of the American AI stack across the globe, we continue this proud legacy.
Thank you.
