Trump-Backed Crypto Firm Taps AI Models from Chinese Companies Flagged by US

A crypto company backed by U.S. President Donald Trump's family is collaborating with a Hong Kong-based venture that offers access to artificial intelligence models from Chinese technology companies flagged for national security concerns.

The company, WorldClaw, provides 90 AI models and accepts tokens from Trump-backed World Liberty Financial as payment. Reuters found that 43 of those models were developed by Alibaba, Baidu, Z.ai, and other Chinese companies the Trump administration says pose risks to national security and intellectual property.

Experts on Chinese technology, trade, and government ethics say this collaboration runs counter to the Trump administration's stance toward Chinese technology companies. 'As the U.S. government tries to respond to the rise and threat of Chinese AI, it seems hypocritical to go out through WorldClaw to use these tools from China to try and make a bunch of money,' said Sam Bresnick, a fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology.

The Trump family owns 38% of World Liberty and earns money through the sale or use of its crypto tokens. WorldLiberty's head of growth, Ryan Fang, has also been a 'helpful external adviser and supporter' of WorldClaw.