US must win AI arms race, Interior secretary warns

(NewsNation) —  The United States will soon launch a global trading club for critical minerals, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced Monday.

Speaking at the ADIPEC Exhibition and Conference, one of the world’s most influential energy summits in Abu Dhabi, Burgum emphasized the importance of energy security as the U.S. aims to lead the artificial intelligence arms race, noting that critical minerals are crucial to the production of artificial intelligence.

Burgum told “Morning in America” on Monday the nation must “get back in the power generation game” to stay competitive. He said keeping electricity affordable is essential, calling it a key foundation for the rise of advanced manufacturing and AI innovation.

“We also need it to power all these intelligence factories so that we can have the intelligence to power industries and power the productivity gains and all the wonderful things that can come from AI … from curing cancer to transforming education to improving virtually every industry we have in this country,” he said.

Burgum also underscored the importance of energy in U.S. diplomacy, saying energy security and national security are deeply connected.

“Energy dominance is really energy abundance,” Burgum said. “Having the ability to sell energy to our friends and allies so that they don’t have to buy from our adversaries. Having abundant, plentiful, affordable, reliable energy is key to energy security. It’s key to national security. It’s key to world peace.”