Trump hosts tech titans at White House to spotlight AI, investments

Top tech leaders showcased U.S. commitments at the White House, with Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Apple’s Tim Cook pledging $600 billion each, Google’s Sundar Pichai announcing $250 billion, and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella highlighting $80 billion annually

U.S. President Donald Trump convened a select group of technology industry leaders at the White House on Thursday (September 4), emphasizing artificial intelligence as a national priority and pressing executives on their domestic investment commitments.

Seated at a long table in the State Dining Room, Trump described the gathering as a meeting of “high IQ people” and hailed the pledges made by companies as evidence of America’s growing technological edge. “This is taking our country to a new level,” he remarked.

Tech giants outline commitments

Executives from some of the world’s most influential firms used the opportunity to highlight research breakthroughs and expansion plans in the United States. Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Apple’s Tim Cook each cited $600 billion in U.S. investments, while Google’s Sundar Pichai reported $250 billion. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella added that his company was contributing about $80 billion annually.

Trump, who went around the table asking for specific figures, praised the announcements as “very good,” underscoring his focus on the economic impact of the tech sector.

The event also featured leaders from IBM, Oracle, Palantir, Micron, TIBCO Software, Scale AI, Blue Origin and Shift4 Payments. Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates and Google cofounder Sergey Brin were among the other high-profile names present.

Absent allies, new faces

One notable absence was Elon Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX chief who had once been tapped by Trump to lead government efficiency reforms. Musk’s split with the administration earlier this year left space for other voices in the artificial intelligence debate, including Sam Altman of OpenAI, who attended in his place.

Also present was Jared Isaacman, founder of Shift4, who had been nominated by Trump to head NASA before the appointment was withdrawn. His inclusion reflected shifting allegiances within the president’s circle of business allies.

AI education in focus

Earlier in the day, First Lady Melania Trump chaired the inaugural session of the White House Artificial Intelligence Education Task Force, which drew participation from several executives attending the dinner. Stressing the importance of preparing the next generation, she declared, “The robots are here. Our future is no longer science fiction.”

Participants in the task force included Google’s Pichai, IBM chief Arvind Krishna, and Code.org President Cameron Wilson, who discussed strategies to embed AI literacy into U.S. education.

Despite rain forcing the evening gathering indoors, the meeting underscored Trump’s continued effort to align Silicon Valley’s innovations with his vision of American economic strength.