Trump Dismisses AI Deceleration Calls: "We Must Stay Ahead of China"

Industry Warnings Mount, but Acceleration Continues
U.S.-China 'Prisoner's Dilemma'
Spotlight on U.S.-China Summit on the 24th

Although concerns are growing in the industry that artificial intelligence (AI) could escape human control—fueling calls for "slowing down"—U.S. President Donald Trump has made it clear that he intends to maintain the current pace of AI development, citing competition with China as the reason. As both the U.S. and China fear that the other side will not slow down AI development, making it difficult to take the lead on regulation, attention is focused on whether the upcoming U.S.-China summit on the 24th will include related discussions—a classic example of the "prisoner's dilemma."

U.S. President Donald Trump. The White House

While visiting Ireland, President Trump met with reporters at his Doonbeg golf resort on the 13th (local time) and responded to a question about whether the AI industry should slow development or strengthen regulations, saying, "We are ahead of China in AI," and adding, "Frankly, whoever wins the AI race will be the victor, so I want to maintain this current direction."

He emphasized, "We are the most technologically advanced country in the world," and stated, "Winning in AI means being the winner. That's a phrase I coined myself, but it's true."

He did not completely deny the need for AI safety mechanisms. President Trump said, "We can put in place safeguards, and there are various measures we can take," but added, "There are too many negative forces amplifying issues that don't need to be raised. They are bringing up things that will not happen."

Recently, after several researchers at Anthropic and Google left their companies warning that AI could break free of human control and pose a catastrophic threat to humanity, industry leaders such as Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have advocated for slowing down AI development. However, President Trump has made it clear that, despite such warnings, he intends to prioritize competition with China and maintain the current AI development policy.

Kevin Hassett, White House National Economic Council (NEC) Director, also defended President Trump, stating that industry warnings are unlikely to cause serious turmoil in the market. Hassett said, "These technologies have developed rapidly so far, and safety has been managed under the guidance of independent companies and White House National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross," adding, "We should stick to this approach."

He acknowledged the possibility of AI agents breaching cybersecurity, but noted, "The much greater risk is that malicious actors could acquire AI more advanced than the systems we use to protect ourselves." He further stressed, "The United States must ensure safety while also preventing malicious actors from developing superior AI and using it to make things like biological weapons."

This week, President Trump is expected to hold meetings with key officials, including Director Cairncross and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy chief Michael Kratsios, to discuss AI safety measures. Hassett said, "I understand that lawmakers also have strong opinions on this issue," adding that President Trump would listen to Congressional views as well.

Clashes over AI Regulation in the White House 

However, differing views on AI regulation persist within the Trump administration. According to Bloomberg News, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Director Cairncross have listened to industry concerns and support establishing an independent regulatory agency. By contrast, regulatory skeptics such as Director Kratsios worry that excessive regulation would hinder innovation and lead to China overtaking the United States.

David Sacks, White House Science and Technology Advisor—often called the administration's "AI czar"—took aim at calls to slow down from industry leaders, including CEO Amodei, posting sarcastically on X (formerly Twitter) the previous day, "Keep going."

Advisor Sacks also noted that, if AI companies demand their preferred regulatory frameworks in exchange for slowing development, it may look like "blackmail of the public and the political system." He added, "The likelihood that China would join any global agreement is extremely low and must be considered," and, "If companies don't actually slow down, then calls to slow AI development will be revealed as attempts at 'regulatory capture' or election-time psychological tactics."

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson also appeared on CNN, emphasizing that AI companies must be held responsible for ensuring their products' safety, but expressing opposition to hasty regulation by Congress. Speaker Johnson said, "We should avoid a situation where Congress abruptly intervenes and imposes an emergency moratorium," warning, "If Congress rushes to regulate AI, we will lose our competitive edge against China, and that would be a threat to all Americans." Instead, he suggested AI companies, the government, and Congress should work together to strike a balance between innovation and safety.

U.S.-China "Prisoner's Dilemma"… Spotlight on the Summit on the 24th 

The background to the United States' inability to accelerate AI risk regulation—despite awareness of potential dangers—lies in the ongoing power struggle with China. With China fostering its AI industry at the national level, there are concerns that tightening regulations only in the U.S. would not only undermine private sector technological progress but also harm national security.

China likewise finds it difficult to pursue independent regulatory tightening without being certain the United States will also slow development. Although bilateral cooperation could mitigate AI risks, the suspicion that each side would fail to keep its promises prevents either from stopping the competition—a classic "prisoner's dilemma." Unlike with nuclear weapons, it is also difficult to verify compliance with AI-related agreements.

In the U.S. Congress, it is unlikely that momentum will build for AI legislation mandating an immediate "kill switch" for AI models, with only two months remaining before the midterm elections. Issues such as data center construction and increased electricity costs have emerged as midterm campaign topics, but there has been little progress in broader discussions on AI safety regulation.

This puts the spotlight on the U.S.-China summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to be held at the White House on the 24th. The key question will be whether the two countries can agree on at least minimum safeguards or a consultative structure to reduce the risks of the AI development race.

Given the importance of the AI agenda, the U.S. and China are said to be planning a separate high-level meeting ahead of the summit. However, it remains unclear whether there will be a dedicated session solely on AI, or if AI issues will be included as part of broader economic talks among senior officials.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.