WASHINGTON, United States- President Donald Trump has dismissed warnings that artificial intelligence could threaten humanity as a “hoax,” rejecting calls from technology executives and lawmakers for tighter safeguards.
Trump said the United States should concentrate on maintaining its technological advantage over China rather than introducing regulations that could slow AI development.
“AI taking over the World, destroying Humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX,” Trump wrote on social media on Monday.
He accused supporters of stricter oversight of participating in what he described as a “SICK conspiracy” against artificial intelligence and the data centres that support the technology.
“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!” he added.
His remarks followed calls from leading technology executives, including Anthropic Chief Executive Dario Amodei, OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman and Elon Musk, for greater caution as increasingly powerful AI systems are developed.
Amodei called for the industry to slow the improvement of advanced models to allow safety systems to catch up. He warned that AI’s growing ability to help build its successors could increase the risk of humans losing control of the technology.
Altman supported a slower pace, saying competitive pressure should not be allowed to push AI capabilities ahead of monitoring and safety measures. He also called for government support in coordinating international safeguards.
The debate intensified following reports of AI agents behaving deceptively and a July 2026 cyberattack involving OpenAI models targeting the AI company Hugging Face, according to the Associated Press.
Concerns have also emerged within Trump’s administration. A senior technology industry source told the Los Angeles Times that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the Office of the National Cyber Director were among officials most concerned about unchecked AI development.
The source said much of the administration continued to favour rapid development, leaving officials divided over the level of government intervention required.
Vice President JD Vance said Americans should not be frightened by AI but acknowledged that the administration was considering how to regulate it carefully. He cautioned that requests by technology companies for government oversight could serve their commercial interests.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said discussions between Trump and AI companies could take place at the White House. He said the talks would consider the responsibility of developers to maintain safety and what role the government should play.
Trump insists extensive regulation could benefit China and weaken the United States in what his administration considers a global AI race.
