CNBC Daily Open: May the 'AI Force' be with you

China's President Xi Jinping (R) gestures as he meets with US President Donald Trump (L) during a visit to Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing on May 15, 2026. Evan Vucci | Afp | Getty ImagesHello, this is Leonie Kidd coming to you from London. Welcome to another edition of CNBC's Daily Open.For President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping this week, AI will present not just a technological issue, but a new front in the contest for economic and political dominance. But should staying ahead in the AI race come at any cost? Read on for more.What you need to know todayU.S. President Donald Trump has announced the creation of an "AI Force," led by an adviser known as an "AI czar." "We will not in any way hinder or stifle the Growth of this incredible Industry," Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform. "Rather, we will cherish it, help it, and watch over it, as it grows! However, we will also be looking for BAD, and we can do that, very easily, with our already existing Criminal and Civil Justice System."No other details followed Trump's statement, which followed a week of disruption for the AI industry after Anthropic, OpenAI and xAI called for a slowdown in model developme...