Scott Bessent compares AI CEOs who warn of catastrophe to Hannibal Lecter: 'Stop me before I kill again'
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized AI CEOs who advocate for government regulation, comparing their behavior to the fictional villain Hannibal Lecter. He argued that these companies should focus on self-regulation and slowing development themselves rather than seeking external intervention.
Why it matters
This highlights a growing tension between the Trump administration's preference for industry self-policing and the calls from some tech leaders for formal federal AI oversight.
Scott Bessent invoked "The Silence of the Lambs" while discussing government regulation of AI. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images The Treasury Secretary says pro-regulation AI CEOs bring to mind a movie villain. "It's kind of like Hannibal Lecter: Stop me before I kill again." Bessent says the industry can slow itself down, without government intervention. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had some things to say about pro-regulation tech leaders that might go down better with fava beans and a nice Chianti. During a Saturday appearance on "The Axios Show," Bessent compared CEOs who want the government to slap guardrails on AI to a reviled cinematic figure. "I mean, it's kind of like Hannibal Lecter : Stop me before I kill again," Bessent said. "This alarmism without solutions by some of the AI community — that's not leadership."
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