US President Donald Trump has rejected calls for artificial-intelligence companies to slow development, arguing that the United States must protect its technological advantage over China.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Ireland on Sunday, September 13, Trump acknowledged that AI may require some safeguards but dismissed many warnings about the technology’s rapid advancement as exaggerated.
His remarks came one day after Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei called on leading AI companies to give safety measures more time to catch up with increasingly capable systems.
Amodei’s concerns received public support from OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman and Elon Musk, intensifying debate over whether developers should voluntarily reduce the pace at which their most powerful models are improved.
Trump took a different position. He said maintaining America’s lead over China was essential and argued that whichever country wins the global AI competition will hold a decisive advantage.
The president did not reject regulation entirely. However, he provided no details about the safeguards he would support or how his administration would balance national security, commercial competition and public safety.
His intervention exposes a growing disagreement between the White House and prominent figures within the technology industry.
AI developers and researchers have warned that increasingly autonomous systems could create cybersecurity, employment, misinformation and national-security risks if their capabilities advance faster than effective controls.
The Trump administration has generally supported rapid AI expansion, including the construction of large data centres and computing infrastructure. Critics say that development can increase electricity demand, water consumption and pressure on communities hosting the facilities.
Supporters argue that slowing American companies could allow China to overtake the United States in an industry expected to influence defence, medicine, finance, education and scientific research.
Congressional leaders from both major parties have acknowledged the need for safeguards, although lawmakers have not agreed on comprehensive legislation.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has proposed bringing leading AI executives together to discuss safety and regulation. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has called for faster action to address the technology’s possible economic and social effects.
Trump’s comments do not establish a new law or formal national policy. They nevertheless indicate that his administration is unlikely to support a broad development slowdown without guarantees that China would adopt similar restrictions.
Attention may now turn to possible talks between Washington, Beijing and the major AI companies. Industry leaders have suggested that international cooperation may be necessary because unilateral restrictions could disadvantage companies operating in countries that choose not to slow development.
For now, the United States remains committed to competing aggressively in artificial intelligence, while the debate over how quickly the technology should advance continues inside government and the industry.
