Trump Administration Will Not Give AI Companies a Liability Shield, Treasury Secretary Says

Summary

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said AI developers should take responsibility for their systems rather than expect the federal government to provide a liability shield. His comments align with President Donald Trump's opposition to a broad regulatory crackdown as the administration supports the expansion of AI companies and data centers. Bessent said he and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng discussed AI during a 12-hour meeting ahead of a Trump-Xi summit. The officials considered establishing a communication channel for future AI-related incidents and identifying major risks, including uncontrollable agents, cyber activity by nonstate actors, and biological weapons. The talks are expected to continue, potentially in Shenzhen later this year, alongside broader U.S.-China negotiations. Bessent framed responsibility for AI harms as belonging to people and developers, not to AI systems themselves.