Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently warned about the risks of developing artificial intelligence (AI) too quickly, a view that has been backed by several leading figures in the AI industry. However, US President Donald Trump has taken a different stand, strongly supporting the rapid development of AI and rejecting concerns about its possible dangers.
Trump made his views clear during a panel discussion on Monday, when Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang took a live phone call from the POTUS. During the call, Trump dismissed fears that AI could become dangerous, calling such concerns a “hoax.”
“The robots will not be taking over. The AI will not be taking over the rest of the world. The whole thing is a hoax,” Trump said.
Trump also praised the rapid expansion of data centres, calling them “great” and saying they would make people and states “wealthy.” He compared their importance to oil, saying they could become one of the biggest drivers of the economy over the next two decades.
“It’s the oil of the next 20, 25 years; it’s bigger than the internet and AI, you know, much more so,” Trump said.
Despite his strong support for the AI push, Trump acknowledged that the technology needs to be developed carefully. He said people would have to act “prudently” while moving ahead with AI.
Trump also pushed back against calls to slow down AI development, suggesting that such efforts could be politically motivated or benefit China.
“The AI pushback is just playing right into the hands of a lot of people that don't want to see it happen,” Trump said. “And that could be political people. It could also be China.”
Huang agreed with Trump’s position, praising the president for understanding the complexities surrounding the AI debate.
