Trump rejects AI slowdown, frames it as race with China — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Trump downplayed AI safety warnings during his Ireland trip, saying the US must not cede its lead to China and dismissing critics as unnamed "negative forces" pushing fears that "won't happen."
- Trump acknowledged some regulation may be needed but declined to specify what rules he supports, declaring "whoever wins with AI wins" after watching the Irish Open at his Doonbeg resort.
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, a day before Trump's remarks, said the AI industry should slow development so safety measures can catch up — a position publicly backed by Elon Musk and OpenAI's Sam Altman.
- Barack Obama told House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries that Democrats should make AI a campaign issue, citing risks to children, job displacement, and the need for a concrete economic plan.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson said "some guardrails, some safety measures" are needed but warned losing the AI edge to China would be a "national security threat," while Hakeem Jeffries said Congress should "take decisive action now" to slow development.
- National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett said officials handling cyber, science, and technology policy will meet this week on next steps, and Trump could meet with lawmakers who have raised concerns.
- Jacob Coxon, a former Anthropic employee who resigned over AI concerns, called for international rules and US-China cooperation to mutually slow development, warning that racing unchecked against Beijing could be "equally dangerous."
Why it matters: Trump's dismissal of safety calls sharpens a split that now spans CEOs (Amodei, Musk, Altman), a former president (Obama), and both parties' congressional leaders (Johnson, Jeffries) — all converging on the need for guardrails he labels "negative forces." With Chinese President Xi Jinping due at the White House later this month, the debate over whether to slow or sprint has moved from industry halls to the highest diplomatic table.
Ask SkimNews
