US President Donald Trump has slammed critics of artificial intelligence, describing them as negative forces who raise concerns about scenarios that will not happen. Trump is downplaying the need for his administration to check the development of the technology, favoring a light-touch approach to ensure the United States remains the industry leader and stays ahead of China.
The debate has intensified as technology executives call for a slowdown in development amid growing concerns that AI poses a threat to civilization. Two Anthropic researchers recently warned that the rapidly progressing technology could lead to the extinction of the human race in the not-too-distant future. Similarly, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced his company will not go public this year, citing safety concerns.
Democrats are increasingly attacking the administration's hands-off approach to artificial intelligence regulation as midterms approach. Trump previously got a glimpse of the technology that would define his second presidential term during a campaign stop in Las Vegas in June 2024.