Trump dismisses AI extinction threat, says US gives China a one‑year lead and will hurt it if it falls behind in AI
| Source: Techmeme | Original article
President Trump dismissed AI researchers' warnings of human extinction, claiming the U.S. is a year ahead of China and would be in a very bad position without AI dominance.
President Donald Trump dismissed recent alarms from artificial‑intelligence researchers that the technology could become uncontrollable and pose an existential threat to humanity. Speaking to reporters in Dallas, Trump said the United States is already a year ahead of China in AI development and warned that “we’re going to be in a very bad position” if the country fails to maintain its lead. He added, “No, I don’t have any” concerns about AI‑driven human extinction, emphasizing instead the strategic imperative of beating China.
The remarks come amid a wave of cautionary statements from the AI community. Earlier this week, Anthropic researchers warned that unchecked AI could lead to human extinction by 2030, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman told staff the company is open to slowing development to address safety risks. Those warnings have spurred policy debates in Washington and renewed calls for international coordination on AI safety standards.
Trump’s dismissal underscores a growing tension between geopolitical competition and the push for responsible AI governance. By framing AI primarily as a national‑security race, the president signals that regulatory or safety‑focused initiatives may struggle to gain traction unless they can be linked to U.S. strategic advantage.
What to watch next: Congress is expected to hold hearings on AI safety later this month, and the White House is slated to release a draft AI strategy that could reconcile security concerns with emerging risk‑mitigation frameworks. Observers will also be looking for any shift in the administration’s tone after pressure from both industry leaders and scientific bodies urging a more cautious approach.
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