Vance Urges Calm on AI, Says US Tracking Houthi Red Sea Moves

Vice President JD Vance said on Monday that Americans should not be afraid of artificial intelligence, while cautioning that the technology carries risks that need careful handling.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Vance said the administration wants to regulate AI "smartly" and is mindful of both its dangers and benefits. He expressed unease at frontier AI companies pressing the government for regulation, describing the posture as feeling like a Trojan horse.

Vance also stressed that the United States is engaged in a long-term AI competition with China and intends to remain ahead. On the question of who should write the rules, he said the ideal outcome would be agreement between Congress and the White House so that any regulatory framework has broad backing and can endure.

Turning to the Red Sea, Vance said the administration is very much on top of the Houthi seizure of additional islands and is monitoring the situation closely. He said Washington has been in constant contact with the Emiratis, the Saudis and other affected parties, and has also held direct conversations with the Houthis themselves. He described the situation as fluid and dynamic, adding that the US would keep watching to protect American interests.

Asked about reports that he had called military leaders directly for their views, Vance said he trusted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Dan Cain, and dismissed the story as odd, noting that it is normal for a vice president to seek the perspectives of admirals and generals.

Earlier in the day, Houthi rebels expanded their threat to Saudi shipping routes by capturing the strategic Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, according to government and Houthi officials. The islands sit about 160 kilometres north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a choke point linking the Red Sea to open waters and Saudi Arabia's key Asian markets. The advance also places the Houthis roughly 32 kilometres from the US military base in Djibouti.

The rebels deployed on the islands after hundreds of government-allied forces withdrew from the archipelago, officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The advances appeared to meet little resistance from Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces.