Donald Trump hosts tech leaders at White House, touts AI and billions in investments; Elon Musk missing

On Thursday evening, President Donald Trump brought together a distinguished group of technology leaders for a dinner at the White House to discuss the future of artificial intelligence. The gathering highlighted Trump's efforts to engage with Silicon Valley while navigating the complexities of his rapport with industry executives, known for their diverse views. Seated at a long table filled with what he referred to as 'high IQ people,' Trump expressed his enthusiasm for the advancements in technology. 'This is taking our country to a new level,' he stated. Among the attendees were prominent figures of Indian descent, including Sundar Pichai from Google, Satya Nadella of Microsoft, and Sanjay Mehrotra from Micron, all of whom contributed to the evening's discussions. During the dinner, Trump encouraged the tech leaders to share their financial commitments to the U.S. economy. Notable pledges included $600 billion from Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Apple's Tim Cook, while Google’s Sundar Pichai announced a commitment of $250 billion. Microsoft’s Nadella mentioned that his company invests up to $80 billion annually. Trump's response to these declarations was straightforward: 'Good. Very good.' Absent from the event was Elon Musk, a former ally of Trump, who has publicly distanced himself from the president. In his place, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was present, signaling a shift in relationships within the tech landscape. Other notable guests included Bill Gates, Sergey Brin, and Safra Catz, among others. Earlier in the day, First Lady Melania Trump led the newly established Artificial Intelligence Education task force. Joined by tech executives such as Pichai and IBM's Arvind Krishna, she emphasized the importance of responsible AI development. 'The robots are here. Our future is no longer science fiction,' she remarked, urging leaders to guide AI development with care, akin to raising children. Within the GOP, reactions to Trump's engagement with Big Tech were mixed. Senator Josh Hawley criticized companies like Meta and ChatGPT, advocating for government oversight on emerging AI technologies. Despite some opposition, Trump has shown a keen interest in AI-generated content, often sharing memes and edited videos online, even joking about potentially blaming AI for any negative outcomes in the future. The evening concluded with discussions that underscored AI's growing role in both Trump's political agenda and the tech industry's strategy in Washington.