Trump calls AI extinction fears a ‘hoax’ as global alarm over technology grows

Washington, September 14 - In response to global alarm about artificial intelligence (AI), US President Donald Trump dismissed fears that AI could wipe out humanity as a "hoax" on his social media platform. Trump claimed that AI will not take control, consume, or destroy the world, and that robots will not be marching into cities and replacing humans.

He compared the AI fears to previous warnings about climate change and his previous investigation into links to Russia. Trump insisted that only a "strong and smart president" is necessary to protect against AI, casting himself as the best guardrail.

This response to AI concerns came amid increasing international alarm, which sent stocks falling. AI experts, including Anthropic's Dario Amodei, OpenAI's Sam Altman, and SpaceXAI's Elon Musk, called for AI companies to slow down. Microsoft published a "humanist AI code of conduct" in response to the concerns. Americans are also increasingly opposing energy-intensive AI data centers, which have become a major issue in crucial US midterm elections in November.

Congress appears deadlocked on the issue. Americans like 46-year-old New Yorker Maliyka Muhammad expressed concern that AI should now be focused on being "reined in" to prevent it from going "crazy." However, Trump argued that the US cannot afford to lose an AI race with superpower rival China. He also accused AI opponents of being "traitors, traitors, and leakers" and singled out Anthropic's Dario Amodei for pretending to be a "perfect little angel," questioning why AI firms would want regulation that would "drive them into oblivion and bankruptcy."

Meanwhile, China's spy chief warned that AI endangers national security, suggesting foreign powers could use the technology to threaten social order. The UN Security Council will hold a meeting on AI next week, and UN human rights chief Volker Turk called for urgent action to rein in the technology, which he said poses "unprecedented risks." Britain's King Charles III will also host representatives of leading AI firms for a gathering in Scotland.