President Donald Trump said Monday that concerns about artificial intelligence causing harm to humanity are a "hoax." He made the comments on Truth Social, responding to growing warnings from AI industry leaders.
Trump said the only safeguard AI needs is a strong president. He pointed to his own leadership as proof the technology does not require new rules.
The president also referenced Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei by name. Amodei wrote an essay over the weekend asking AI companies to slow down how fast they build more powerful models.
Trump Dismisses AI Danger Warnings
Trump claimed his administration already has criminal and regulatory power over AI companies. He said there is a "sick conspiracy" against AI and data centers in the United States.
He argued that China benefits from any slowdown in American AI development. Trump has repeatedly said whoever wins the AI race wins overall.
A recent NBC News poll found that 70% of adults are more worried than excited about AI. The same poll found 69% of adults oppose new AI data centers being built near them.
Even so, Trump posted about AI more than six times on Truth Social Monday. He also spoke by phone with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang during the All-In Summit.
Other AI leaders have joined Amodei in calling for a slower pace of development. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said his company would adopt one of the safety measures Amodei proposed.
A former Anthropic researcher, Jacob Coxon, resigned last week. He wrote in a post on X that AI companies are "gambling with our lives."
Lawmakers on both sides responded to the warnings. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asked for a briefing with administration officials on AI safety.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he expects Trump to meet with AI leaders soon. A source told NBC News a meeting is being planned, though no date has been set.
Some Republicans said Congress will not pass AI regulation before the midterm elections. Senator John Kennedy said lawmakers do not need to grant AI companies permission to slow down.
China Raises Its Own AI Concerns
China's Ministry of State Security issued its first public statement on AI risks Sunday. The agency said generative AI tools could be used to spread false information and target the country's political system.
State security minister Chen Yixin said deepfakes and AI-generated content amount to a form of cognitive warfare against China. He said the activity threatens political and institutional security.
The statement marks a shift, since AI regulation in China has mostly been handled by the Cyberspace Administration. Officials also warned that Chinese companies could leak sensitive data by using foreign AI tools.
China's Global Times newspaper criticized Amodei's essay Monday. It said his warning about a Chinese AI lead was aimed at protecting Anthropic's own business interests rather than global safety.
Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet later this month. AI safety is expected to be part of their discussion, according to diplomats familiar with the planning.
