Tech execs at White House field ideas for US dominance

Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google LLC, center, arrives to the White House for a meeting in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. Technology industry leaders arrived to the White House for a summit to talk about emerging innovations like artificial intelligence while the effects of the administration's trade war with China loom in the background. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Top executives from Google, Microsoft, IBM, Oracle and Qualcomm gathered Thursday at the White House amid strained ties between President Donald Trump’s administration and the tech industry and an ongoing trade war with China. 

The White House described the Thursday meeting as a listening session to field ideas for securing American dominance in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, advanced manufacturing and faster wireless technology known as 5G.