Archive · 13 Sep 2026
Trump Rejects AI Slowdown, Says Whoever Wins AI Wins
Donald Trump said the United States should continue moving quickly in artificial intelligence.
He said America is ahead of China and that winning the AI race is very important.
Trump also said some warnings about AI dangers are exaggerated.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei wants companies to slow the development of the most powerful AI systems.
He does not want research to stop completely.
Instead, he wants more time for safety checks and independent experts to examine the systems.
Sam Altman and Elon Musk agreed with parts of his plan.
The main disagreement is how to balance competition with China against possible dangers from advanced AI.
Donald Trump said the United States is leading China in artificial intelligence and must preserve that advantage.
Trump dismissed some AI warnings as overstated and said critics were discussing developments he believes will not happen.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged companies to slow the pace of frontier AI development without halting research or training.
Amodei proposed independent evaluators, shared safety standards and greater international cooperation on advanced AI safety.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Elon Musk and Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson supported safety measures but opposed a full moratorium on development.
- Who
- US President Donald Trump, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Elon Musk and House Speaker Mike Johnson are the main figures involved.
- What
- Trump rejected calls for a slowdown in AI development, while technology leaders called for a more measured pace and stronger safeguards.
- When
- Trump made his comments on Sunday, September 13, after Amodei published his proposals on Saturday.
- Where
- Trump spoke to reporters during a visit to Ireland; the wider debate involves AI companies and governments internationally.
- Why
- The debate concerns preserving the US advantage over China while addressing potential risks from increasingly capable AI systems.
Slower Development and Stronger Safeguards
Rapid Progress and US Leadership
Pace of development
Slower Development and Stronger Safeguards
Dario Amodei argued that companies should slow the advancement of frontier AI so safety work and evaluations can keep up. Sam Altman and Elon Musk supported a more measured approach.
Rapid Progress and US Leadership
Donald Trump rejected a slowdown and emphasized that the United States must retain its lead over China. Mike Johnson also opposed a moratorium.
Assessment of risks
Slower Development and Stronger Safeguards
Amodei cited the possibility that AI could help create more advanced AI and referred to an incident involving AI agents breaching a third-party website. He also warned about cyberattacks, bioterrorism and economic disruption.
Rapid Progress and US Leadership
Trump said some critics were raising concerns about developments that will not happen and suggested that some warnings were overstated.
Regulation and oversight
Slower Development and Stronger Safeguards
Amodei proposed independent evaluators, common safety standards and international cooperation to monitor advanced AI systems and verify that they remain aligned with their intended goals.
Rapid Progress and US Leadership
Trump said guardrails could be introduced but did not support slowing development in response to the concerns described. Johnson said national security required balancing safety with competition against China.
- US position
- Trump said the United States is leading China in AI and should maintain its advantage.
- Trump's view
- He described some AI warnings as negative concerns about developments he believes will not happen.
- Amodei's proposal
- He called for pacing frontier AI development rather than halting model training or technical progress.
- Independent oversight
- Amodei proposed permanent, employee-level access for independent third-party evaluators.
- Additional safeguards
- He called for common safety standards and greater international cooperation on advanced AI safety.
- Industry support
- Sam Altman backed the proposal, OpenAI said it would adopt independent evaluators, and Elon Musk endorsed Amodei's position.
- Stated risks
- Amodei cited loss of control, cyberattacks, bioterrorism, economic disruption and the possibility of AI improving its own capabilities.
