Trump says AI safety fears a ‘hoax’ as he rejects calls for greater safeguards

US President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about the safety of artificial intelligence (AI) as a "hoax" on Monday, rejecting calls for stricter regulations and oversight of the rapidly advancing technology. This comes after Jack Clark, co-founder of AI firm Anthropic, suggested that a "kill switch" for potentially dangerous AI systems, overseen by third-party verification, might be necessary.

Recent warnings about the risks AI poses to humanity have emerged from executives and employees at leading AI companies, causing some investors to sell off shares of tech firms in response. Trump's social media posts compared AI warnings to the alleged "Global Warming Scam" and accused the "Radical Left Democrats" of spreading the hoax.

He also claimed that the only "guardrails" needed for AI were a "strong and smart" president. Meanwhile, Chinese state media noted that Washington's growing anxiety over China's rapid AI development could be influencing US policy priorities. Tech industry figures and political leaders, including former Trump strategist Steve Bannon and Senator Bernie Sanders, are set to discuss re-evaluating AI policy at an event in Washington on Tuesday.