- President Donald Trump downplayed AI risks, saying that “negative forces” were conjuring up “things that won’t happen” and that “it’s going to be more good than bad by a lot.”
- House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected calls for emergency AI legislation, arguing that Congress shouldn’t rush to act, while both he and Trump warned that slowing the US AI industry would hand China an advantage in the superintelligence race.
- AI industry leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Google DeepMind chair Demis Hassabis, have called for slowing down AI development and for independent oversight.
- Public worry is high: an NBC News poll found that 70% of respondents were more worried than excited by AI.
- Amid these calls, a stunning claim emerged that “the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.”
US lawmakers are facing increasing pressure to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) as President Trump downplays the associated risks, claiming that concerns are exaggerated.
Trump stated, Im not downplaying, but, you know, its going to be more good than bad by a lot, during a press briefing on Air Force One.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected calls for emergency legislation, arguing that AI executives could slow down their advancements voluntarily and that Congress should not rush to act.34
Both Trump and Johnson emphasized that slowing the US AI industry could give China a significant advantage in the race for superintelligence, framing the issue as a matter of national security rather than just safety.
This perspective contrasts with growing concerns from various quarters, including former President Barack Obama, who warned that without government intervention, the world might cross a dangerous threshold regarding AI development.
An NBC News poll revealed that 70% of respondents expressed more worry than excitement about AI, highlighting public apprehension.8
Prominent figures in the tech industry, such as Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, have called for a slowdown in AI development, advocating for independent evaluators to be embedded within AI firms.
Elon Musk also supported this sentiment, stating, Dario is right on social media, further emphasizing the need for caution in AI advancements.567
“An NBC News poll found 70% of respondents are more worried than excited by AI, and industry leaders like Dario Amodei and Sam Altman have called for independent oversight. Trump insists 'We're leading China in AI' and wants to keep it that way.”
