Former US National Security Adviser H R McMaster has proposed a Hippocratic oath for corporate leaders making investments in cutting-edge technologies abroad, particularly in China. McMaster, who served in the Trump administration, believes such an oath is necessary to prevent potential enemies from developing weapon systems using American investments.
At the THRIVE 2026 Summit in San Francisco, McMaster emphasized the need for a new set of rules for the development and application of technologies like artificial intelligence, supercomputing, and genetics. He suggested that an oath of ethics, similar to the Hippocratic oath, should be taken by board members of companies dealing in these critical technologies.
The proposed oath would have three components: not helping potential enemies develop weapon systems, not assisting authoritarian regimes in extinguishing human freedom or committing cultural genocide, and not compromising the long-term viability of American companies for short-term profits or access to the Chinese market.
