The President of the United States, Donald Trump, once again criticized on Monday (14) appeals from leaders of artificial intelligence (AI) companies demanding a slowdown in the development of this technology. In a post on his social network Truth Social, Trump stated that this initiative is part of a 'painful conspiracy' that will benefit China, the main geopolitical competitor to the US in the field of AI.
This statement followed a weekend marked by intensified discussions about the risks associated with AI progress. Two researchers from Anthropic warned of the possibility that the technology could lead to human extinction in the foreseeable future, while industry leaders began advocating for measures to reduce the pace of model development.
In his message, Trump also supported the regulatory mechanisms adopted in the United States to control technological development. According to the president, his administration has already prevented AI companies from taking actions considered undesirable or potentially harmful.
Trump directly referenced Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, who published an article on Saturday (12) calling on companies to slow down the development of AI models. This executive also argued that Chinese leadership in the sector poses a serious threat to the United States and the world.
Amodei also advocated for restrictions on selling critical technologies to China. This position received support from Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Elon Musk.
In another post, Trump stated that the current growth of AI and data centers is happening because the United States leads among other countries. For him, maintaining this advantage is a priority.
Trump's stance aligns with China's reaction to calls to slow down the development of artificial intelligence. Beijing rejected the appeals from US tech company leaders, labeling these warnings as 'alarmism' and part of a containment strategy against the country.
A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guo Jiakun, stated that 'alarmism, confrontation, and malicious competition' would harm global AI governance and satisfy no one's interests. The state newspaper Global Times also characterized the proposal to slow down as a 'Cold War playbook' aimed at the AI sector.
However, China's rejection does not mean Beijing ignores the technology's risks. Chen Yixin, Minister of State Security, advocated for creating a system to prevent and control security issues related to AI, classifying this technology as a new field of strategic rivalry.
On Sunday, Trump had already dismissed the industry leaders' demands to slow down technological development. At that time, the president compared AI critics to negative forces creating scenarios that, in his view, would never happen.
When journalists asked him about the possibility of slowing down the industry or receiving more regulation, Trump stated that the United States is ahead of China in AI. He also emphasized his desire to maintain this position. The president added that the US could establish protective barriers for technologies but reiterated his defense of continuous American leadership in this area.
Trump's statements place AI safety and the technological confrontation between the United States and China at opposite poles. While sector leaders advocate for risk reduction measures, the American president asserts that slowing down could undermine US advantage over its competitor.