Abstract：Since the beginning of Trump's second term, U.S. AI strategy has exhibited a more pronounced power-oriented shift, while maintaining the framework of technological development and regulatory mechanisms established in previous administrations. This paper reviews the AI strategies of three administrations—the Obama administration, Trump's first term, and the Biden administration—and argues that the dominant logic of U.S. AI strategy under Trump's second term has shifted from technological logic to power logic, with AI evolving from a technological tool into both a component of U.S. national power and a manifestation of Trump's personal authority. Centered on this power logic, the Trump administration has constructed an AI power base across three dimensions—material, social, and international—and has advanced strategic implementation through three major mechanisms: federal centralization and unified legislation, inter-agency coordination, and government-business integration. The power shift embodied in Trump's second-term AI strategy is profoundly reshaping the underlying logic of great-power competition, the global AI governance landscape, and the system of technological risk management. China must accurately grasp this power logic while striking a balance between technological autonomy and international cooperation, so as to promote the healthy and inclusive development of AI in the international community.
Keywords: Trump 2.0; artificbial intelligence; global governance; China-U.S. competition
Author: Cuihong Cai, Yibo Wang
Source:Cai, C. H., & Wang, Y. B. (2026). From Technology to Power: The Logical Turn of Trump's Second-Term Artificial Intelligence Strategy. Contemporary China and World, 2026(2).
Publish Date: 2026/4
