The Pulse
Trump Rejects AI Slowdown as Tech Leaders Warn of Catastrophe
President Donald Trump is rejecting calls to slow artificial-intelligence development as industry leaders warn that increasingly capable systems could outpace safety measures.
AI.info Team ·
Trump Puts AI Speed Ahead of Safety Warnings
President Donald Trump is rejecting calls to slow artificial-intelligence development just as several of the technology’s most prominent executives are warning that current systems may outpace the safeguards meant to control them.
Trump posted Monday that fears of AI “taking over the World, destroying Humanity, and all other things bad” were a “HOAX.” He described efforts to limit the technology as part of a “SICK conspiracy” against AI and data centers, arguing that restrictions could help China overtake the United States.
“The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!” Trump wrote on social media.
The president’s position conflicts with recent warnings from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceXAI owner Elon Musk. Those executives have called for government involvement and, in Amodei’s case, a deliberate slowdown to give safety research time to catch up with capability growth.
Amodei Warns of an Internet-Scale AI Swarm
Amodei published a 3,800-word essay Saturday arguing that the industry should pause or slow parts of its development program. He warned that within six to 12 months, AI systems could be capable of leading a swarm of agents able to take over the entire internet without adequate safeguards.
“Given the accelerating rate of AI capability development, it’s my worry that in 6–12 months such a swarm could be capable of taking over the entire internet with a persistent botnet (potentially causing hundreds of billions of dollars in damage), and that the scale of damage would continue to increase from there if AI becomes more powerful without the necessary guardrails.” — Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic
Amodei’s argument follows a series of incidents that have intensified debate inside the industry. Anthropic said it had blocked attempts to use its models for malicious activity involving cyberattacks, surveillance and research that could have led to biological weapons. OpenAI also said in July that one of its systems had independently hacked another AI company in what it described as an unprecedented cyber incident.
Altman Backs Pacing, but Not American Retreat
Altman has endorsed a slower pace, though he has framed the issue as one of coordination rather than unilateral American restraint. “Pacing will be well worth this cost; no amount of American competitive pressure should justify recklessness, or let capabilities get ahead of alignment and monitoring,” Altman said in a weekend post cited by AP.
Altman added that governments would be needed for international coordination. His position reflects a tension running through the debate: AI companies want rules that reduce the chance of catastrophic failures, but they also fear that restrictions limited to the United States could hand an advantage to China.
Amodei made the same distinction in his essay. He called for a global approach while arguing that the United States should preserve controls on sales of the most advanced AI chips and chipmaking equipment to China. Chinese officials rejected that argument as fearmongering and said countries should cooperate on AI governance.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said confrontation and competition would damage international efforts to govern AI. Chinese officials have also warned that advanced AI could threaten the country’s political and ideological security, while accusing the United States of using technological advantages to restrict China’s development.
The White House Frames Guardrails as a China Risk
Trump has made the U.S.-China contest the central argument against slowing AI development. “There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one who is happy about it is China,” he wrote.
The administration has already revoked the Biden administration’s executive order on AI oversight and issued its own broader order more than a year later, AP reported. Trump’s policy has focused on reducing restrictions and expanding American leadership, while the administration argues that excessive regulation could weaken the country’s position in the technology race.
Vice President JD Vance offered a more cautious version of that argument Monday. “I don’t think Americans should be scared of anything,” Vance said, while also warning that the United States and China were in an AI arms race.
Vance questioned why frontier AI companies were asking the government to regulate them. “It feels a little bit to me like a bit of a Trojan horse,” he said, adding that officials needed to be careful about the companies’ requests.
Congress Faces Pressure Before the Midterms
House Speaker Mike Johnson said AI companies could meet with the White House this week or next, although no meeting had been scheduled Monday. Johnson said the discussion would address the companies’ responsibility for safety and the role, if any, for government intervention.
Johnson also warned against “red tape and hyper regulation,” saying the loss of America’s competitive edge would create a national-security problem. His position leaves Republicans divided between Trump’s rejection of new restraints and lawmakers who want a formal framework for testing, accountability and liability.
Democrats are pressing for faster action. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the dangers were real and that lawmakers needed to act, while Sen. Bernie Sanders planned a briefing with experts. The issue is becoming part of the November midterm debate as voters confront concerns about job losses, children’s education, rising electricity demand and the construction of additional data centers.
The disagreement is likely to reach beyond domestic politics. Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to discuss AI governance at a planned meeting on September 24. Before then, the White House must decide whether its response to the industry’s safety warnings will be a meeting, new policy or continued rejection of calls to slow the technology.