President Donald Trump on Monday all but rejected calls from AI industry leaders for more government regulation on their cutting-edge models, making clear he considers outpacing China a higher priority than addressing growing public concerns.
Trump asserted in a social media post that a “SICK conspiracy” was afoot to undermine AI, and claimed his oversight alone was enough to prevent models from going rogue. Others inside the administration, including Vice President JD Vance, cast doubt on the motivations that led executives, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, to call for more government oversight.
The stance has placed the White House at odds with growing public skepticism of AI and wedged vulnerable Republicans in a tough spot as they work to show voters they take the concerns seriously. Even some White House officials privately say they are worried about Trump’s apparent lack of concern about AI’s dangers — a position he’s held for months and has been seemingly unmoved by any industry warnings.
Over four consecutive days, the president has continued to downplay the need to apply new safety checks. He said Monday the US already has “tremendous CRIMINAL and REGULATORY power over these companies!”
