Trump's AI Summit with Tech CEOs to Weigh Innovation Against Oversight
President Trump meets tech CEOs on Tuesday to discuss AI regulation, with House Speaker Johnson stressing balance and warning against over-regulation.
President Donald Trump is set to meet with leading technology executives on Tuesday to discuss artificial intelligence, a gathering that House Speaker Mike Johnson said will centre on striking a balance between encouraging innovation and imposing oversight.
In an interview with Fox Business Network on Monday, Johnson said the federal government should avoid aggressive regulation. "We do not need a moratorium. We do not need to jump in and hyper-regulate this, because we'll lose the race to China," he said, adding that the conversation would focus on getting the balance right.
Johnson, who is expected to attend the White House meeting, said the United States should remain mindful of safety concerns without hindering the technology's development. He suggested the Department of Justice could have a role if problems arise, but argued that transparency and oversight should come first.
The meeting comes as major AI companies — including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google's DeepMind, Microsoft and xAI — have called for slowing the development of increasingly capable systems, citing risks to humanity and urging governments to cooperate on managing the technology.
Trump has played down concerns that misuse of AI could harm people, instead emphasising the need to preserve America's competitive edge over China. He has said the US already has guardrails in place, including at the Justice Department.
Lawmakers from both parties have questioned Trump's hands-off approach amid fears about safety, job losses and the concentration of power among a few tech companies. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told CNBC on Monday that industry leaders were seeking government action and that Congress had a responsibility to protect the public. "When it comes to AI safety, it certainly seems to me that we need to actually lean in boldly and responsibly — now," he said.
The president had dinner with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on Sunday, ahead of the broader meeting with tech leaders.