Trump dismisses AI concerns, says US has tools to keep it safe

President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) on Monday, asserting that the United States already possesses the necessary "guardrails" to regulate and prosecute AI companies. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that a strong and intelligent president is sufficient to control AI, which the US possesses in abundance. He further claimed that China would benefit from doubts cast on AI development, as the US already has strong criminal and regulatory power over these companies.

The US public has become increasingly concerned about potential harm from AI after two Anthropic researchers warned last week that rapidly progressing technology could cause the extinction of the human race in the near future. As a result, AI-related stocks experienced sharp declines worldwide on Monday, following weeks of reports of AI agents acting against operators' instructions and prominent AI safety researchers warning about the technology's potential risks.

On Saturday, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei presented a three-step framework to pace development and create more time to manage AI risks, which was endorsed by several other AI industry executives, including Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Trump defended the tools intended to keep AI safe, stating that the Trump Administration had previously prevented dangerous actions by AI researchers like Amodei. He claimed that the administration would continue to monitor and manage AI's development. Throughout his presidency, Trump has shown little concern for AI-related issues and has generally supported AI companies in their endeavors.