Trump Calls AI Safety Fears a Hoax and Rejects More Safeguards
Summary
US President Donald Trump has dismissed fears about artificial intelligence safety as a “hoax” and rejected calls for additional guardrails, saying the technology needs only a “strong and smart” president. His comments came after Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark said governments might eventually require AI companies to maintain a third-party-checkable way to shut down systems if they become too dangerous. Clark said most labs, including Anthropic, already have ways to pull the plug, but argued lawmakers may need to make such measures mandatory. The debate intensified after warnings from AI researchers and executives contributed to a selloff in technology shares as investors considered whether safety concerns could slow the industry’s multibillion-dollar expansion. Trump said opposition to AI and data centers was part of a conspiracy that could benefit China, while Chinese state media argued that US anxiety about China’s AI progress was distorting American policy. UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the risks should not be ignored but cautioned against hyperbole, pointing to possible benefits in public services, healthcare and the wider economy. Microsoft AI has published guidance on limiting the models it develops, and CEO Mustafa Suleyman said the document had been prepared before the current debate intensified. Steve Bannon and Bernie Sanders are also due to appear at a Washington event calling for a more human-centered approach to AI policy. Sanders has urged immediate action against uncontrolled growth and cited the possibility of human extinction. The latest alarm was amplified by former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon’s warnings and scientist Evan Hubinger’s estimate that AI could cause human extinction within the next decade at a probability above 10%, while Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for slower, more closely monitored development without sacrificing commercial advantage. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and xAI CEO Elon Musk have expressed support for industry-wide deceleration, regulation and independent monitoring, although the article records no binding agreement or enacted policy.