Trump Says US Already Polices AI as Industry Calls for Audits
President Trump says existing criminal and regulatory powers are enough to police AI, as Anthropic's CEO seeks independent audits and JD Vance questions industry calls for regulation.
President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States already possesses sufficient legal authority to regulate and prosecute artificial intelligence companies, appearing to dismiss concerns raised by industry leaders over the weekend about the misuse of the technology.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump argued that the only guardrail AI requires is a strong and capable president, adding that the country already has one. He said Washington holds considerable criminal and regulatory power over AI firms and described what he called a conspiracy against AI and data centres, claiming that only China stands to gain from doubts cast on the sector's development.
The remarks followed a turbulent few days for the industry. Alarm over potential harms from AI intensified after Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon said he had resigned, stating that people building AI earnestly believe it could kill us all by the end of the decade. AI-related stocks fell sharply worldwide on Monday after leaders of some of the largest companies called for slowing the pace of development.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei wrote in an essay published on Saturday that the US government should draft regulations requiring independent audits of the most advanced tools, known as frontier models. He outlined a three-step framework aimed at slowing AI development and creating more time to manage its risks. The proposal was quickly endorsed by several executives at major AI companies, including Elon Musk, who runs xAI, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Monday that he is sceptical of AI executives calling on the government to regulate the sector. He said it felt strange that so many frontier AI companies were approaching the government and asking to be regulated.
Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat and a leading voice on technology legislation, spoke with Amodei and Altman about AI safety concerns over the weekend, his spokesperson said.
Trump also claimed that the tools intended to keep AI safe had already been used against Amodei, saying his administration had stopped AI figures from doing bad things and would continue to do so. Anthropic's media team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the president's statement.
Trump, who has largely embraced AI companies during his second term, is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington next week. The two countries had been planning a separate mid-September meeting led by lower-level officials to discuss AI risks.