Trump rejects stricter AI regulation and warns against China

US President Donald Trump has rejected calls from American tech companies for stronger regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) and warned that the US would lose its technological lead over China. “Whoever wins in AI wins,” Trump said. He wants to maintain the USA's lead in this area.

At the same time, Trump admitted that there had to be certain rules. “We can set guardrails, we can do this and that,” he said. He attributed warnings about AI development that was too rapid and poorly controlled to “negative forces,” without naming them in more detail.

Asked if he was downplaying the risks of AI, Trump replied: "I'm not downplaying them." Artificial intelligence will bring “far more good than bad”.

Tech industry warnings

Trump's comments followed warnings from the US technology industry. Dario Amodei, head of the AI ​​company Anthropic, had called for the rapid development to be slowed down so that security measures could keep pace. Elon Musk and OpenAI boss Sam Altman also supported the demand.

But Trump primarily sees competition with China as the reason why the USA must continue to develop with full force: his country is currently the leader compared to China, according to Trump, and it should stay that way.

"Nasty painters in the USA"

“Tech Tsar” David Sacks, head of the President’s Scientific Technology Advisory Board, also repeatedly emphasizes that China has no interest in slowing down and would clearly see the economic benefits of AI development. And there are no doom-mongers there like in the USA who would criticize AI development.

In a tweet on the online service X, Sacks accused the AI ​​companies of not acting out of altruistic motives. Rather, by demanding state approval procedures, they simply wanted to undermine their product liability, which represents a major financial risk.

And emphasizing the dangers of their developments should also highlight their power and importance. And since both Anthropic and OpenAI are looking to go public, that could increase their market value. Even though OpenAI postponed the stock market launch at the weekend because of the current security debate.

AI expert Ernesto Lee from Miami Dade College in Florida said on US television that the common call for regulation comes explicitly against the background of the competition between Anthropic and OpenAI: "They both know that they are approaching a cliff edge, but whoever brakes alone will lose the race." At the same time, Lee believes that when producers of a product call for government regulation, Washington must listen.

Democrats call for special session

Meanwhile, the US Democrats, who hope to take the majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate from Trump's Republicans in the congressional elections in November, have recognized the explosiveness of the issue and are calling for a special session of Congress.

Mike Johnson, Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, rejects this, but wants to meet with the AI ​​company bosses as soon as possible. After all, as competitors they still have different interests. And if Congress intervenes at short notice and issues emergency rules in a special session, it will endanger the American people - because China will then win the AI ​​race.