The words “NO! WE DON’T WANT THAT, MR VICE PRESIDENT!” were almost in his mouth, but the thought “Dammit, man, I’m British!” forced him to shove his fist into his mouth and cry tears of rank moral cowardice, rather than punch the air with MAGA zeal. (Optics, Peter, optics! Aerial hand gestures might be misinterpreted!)

U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday warned global leaders and tech industry executives that “excessive regulation” could cripple the rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry in a rebuke to European efforts to curb AI’s risks.

The U.S. was at odds with dozens of countries pushing for a common set of principles for multilateral artificial-intelligence governance at a Paris summit.