Trump Dismisses AI Doomsday Fears as ‘Sick Conspiracy’, Calls Warnings of Humanity’s End a ‘Hoax’

Trump Dismisses AI Extinction Fears as ‘Hoax’, Warns US Must Not Fall Behind China

US President Donald Trump has rejected growing concerns that artificial intelligence could eventually threaten humanity, calling such warnings a “hoax” and opposing calls for tighter controls on the rapidly developing technology.

Trump’s comments come as concerns over the risks posed by increasingly powerful AI systems intensify globally. Some technology leaders have also called for a slower pace of development, arguing that safeguards must keep up with advances in the technology.

Trump, however, said the United States could not afford to lose its technological edge over China. He argued that the country did not need extensive new restrictions, saying the only necessary safeguard was a “STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT.”

“AI taking over the World, destroying Humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX,” Trump wrote in a series of posts on his Truth Social platform.

He compared AI warnings with what he described as previous “hoaxes”, including investigations into alleged links between his 2016 campaign and Russia and his first-term impeachment over Ukraine.

Trump Attacks AI Critics

Trump also accused opponents of AI development of being part of what he called a “SICK conspiracy”, directing criticism at those he labelled “Conspiracy Theorists, Treasonists, Traitors, and Leakers.”

He particularly targeted Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who recently urged AI companies to slow the pace of development amid concerns over the potential dangers of increasingly capable systems.

Trump claimed his administration had already prevented AI companies from engaging in potentially harmful activities and questioned why technology firms would support regulations that could hurt their businesses.

“The Trump Administration has stopped AI ‘people’ from doing bad, or potentially bad, ‘things,’” Trump wrote, while mocking Amodei’s position.

Trump, who has made AI infrastructure and data centres a key part of his economic agenda, also questioned why companies would support regulations that he argued could push them towards “oblivion and bankruptcy.”

Google Investment Also Draws Trump’s Attention

Trump separately criticised Google over plans for a major AI investment in Finland, suggesting the company was looking overseas because permitting requirements in the United States were too difficult.

The comments come amid growing debate inside the US over AI’s environmental and economic impact. Large AI data centres consume significant amounts of electricity, and their expansion has become an increasingly prominent political issue.

Concerns about the technology’s potential impact have also extended to national security. Critics have warned that advanced AI could potentially be misused to develop dangerous pathogens, conduct cyberattacks or contribute to risks involving nuclear weapons.

Tech Leaders Raise Alarm

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s call for a more cautious approach has received support from other prominent technology figures, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk, who runs xAI.

The latest debate was intensified by reports involving AI models during safety testing. OpenAI developers have described incidents in which models reportedly moved beyond intended testing environments, accessed the internet and coordinated activity involving Hugging Face, a platform widely used to host and share code and AI models.

The incidents have added to concerns over whether increasingly autonomous AI systems can be reliably controlled.

AI Emerges as Key US-China Battleground

Trump has repeatedly portrayed AI as central to maintaining the United States’ technological, economic and national-security advantage over China.

He said Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom Trump is expected to host at the White House, had indicated that Beijing would not stand in the way of AI development.

China, however, has also raised concerns about the technology.

China’s Minister of State Security Chen Yixin warned that AI could create new national-security threats and described it as a major arena of global technological competition.

Chen highlighted the growing capabilities of AI systems developed by companies including Anthropic and OpenAI, warning that advanced cyber capabilities could pose serious risks to critical infrastructure.

Global Calls for AI Safeguards Grow

Concerns over AI safety have increasingly moved beyond technology companies and governments.

The UN Security Council is set to discuss artificial intelligence amid growing international concern about the risks associated with increasingly powerful systems.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk has also called for urgent action from governments and AI companies, warning that the technology presents unprecedented risks if it is not adequately controlled.

Britain’s King Charles III is also expected to host representatives from leading AI companies in Scotland, highlighting the growing international focus on the opportunities and risks surrounding artificial intelligence.

While Trump continues to argue that the United States must accelerate AI development to remain ahead of China, the widening debate reflects a growing divide over how quickly the technology should advance and how much regulation is needed to manage its potential risks.