Trump downplays AI risks after dire expert warnings and calls to slow development down
US President Donald Trump has dismissed expert warnings regarding the risks of artificial intelligence, emphasizing the need to maintain a competitive edge over China. His comments follow calls from industry leaders like Elon Musk and Sam Altman to slow down AI development to ensure safety.
Why it matters
The tension between AI safety concerns and geopolitical competition is a defining policy challenge for global leaders.
Figure caption, President Trump says 'negative forces' bringing up AI risks that won't happen
US President Donald Trump has downplayed risks posed by artificial intelligence following days of dire warnings by experts.
"You have a lot of very negative forces that are bringing it up that shouldn't be bringing it up and they're bringing up things that won't happen," Trump said during a visit to Ireland.
One of the warnings came from a former Anthropic researcher who said "there is a strong chance that we could all die in the immediate future" if the current pace of development continued.
On Saturday, top industry bosses agreed and called for a slow-down. Trump did not directly address the idea, but said: "We're leading China on AI... and, frankly, I want to keep it that way because whoever wins AI, wins."
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