Trump vows not to slow AI despite industry warnings
US President Donald Trump has vowed not to slow the development of AI despite warnings from leading technology executives about the potential risks posed by increasingly powerful systems.
Trump also announced the creation of an ‘AI Force’ and said he would appoint an AI czar, while pledging to maintain America’s lead over China in the rapidly developing technology.
“We will not in any way hinder or stifle the Growth of this incredible Industry,” he wrote on Truth Social on Saturday. “Rather, we will cherish it, help it, and watch over it, as it grows!”
Trump accused his political opponents of seeking the “decimation, or destruction” of AI, describing the push as the latest in a series of hoaxes generated by “Radical Left Dumocrats.” He argued that abuses of the technology can be addressed through the justice system.
“For this purpose, I am forming the AI Force, much like I did Space Force, which has been a tremendous SUCCESS, in my First Term,” Trump wrote, referring to the sixth branch of the US armed forces, established by Congress in 2019 to conduct military operations in space and protect American assets such as satellites.
Trump also said he would soon announce an AI czar, adding that “only High I.Q. individuals need apply!” He did not provide details about the proposed force’s composition, powers, budget, or position within the federal government.
The US president described AI as potentially more consequential than the Industrial Revolution and the internet, and predicted that it could eventually account for as much as 25% of US GDP. “We are leading China, and the rest of the World, and I intend to keep it that way!” he wrote.
Trump’s position contrasts with warnings from prominent tech executives. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI chief Sam Altman, SpaceX and xAI chief Elon Musk, and Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis have backed calls to slow the development of increasingly powerful AI systems.
Last week, Amodei warned that rapidly advancing systems could escape human control, be misused for cyberattacks and bioterrorism, and cause serious economic disruption. Anthropic Alignment Science lead Evan Hubinger estimated there is a greater than 10% chance that AI could “kill all humans” within the next decade.
Trump has dismissed concerns that AI could take over the world as a “hoax,” and hailed AI and data centers as the “greatest economic development engine in history.”
Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that flawed military intelligence, outdated imagery, and overreliance on AI contributed to a strike in February on an Iranian school that killed more than 150 people, including at least 123 children.
