Trump and Johnson warn AI pause risks ceding lead to China
Following a public call by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to slow down frontier AI development, top US political leaders have pushed back against the industry's caution. President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson argue that the executive concerns are overblown and that implementing restrictions could jeopardize America's competitive advantage.
Key points
- Trump and Johnson argue that slowing AI development poses a national security threat to the US.
- Leaders fear that regulatory pauses would allow China to outpace American AI capabilities.
- This stance contrasts with Dario Amodei's recent open letter urging a slower pace for frontier AI.
Trump emphasized the strategic importance of maintaining the US lead over China, stating that whoever wins the AI race ultimately wins the broader geopolitical contest. He expressed a clear desire to keep the United States at the forefront of technological advancement without unnecessary delays.
House Speaker Johnson reinforced this stance on CNN, labeling potential regulatory actions as a national security threat. He warned that if Congress were to convene emergency sessions to regulate AI hastily, the US would likely lose its race against China. This political pushback highlights a significant divergence between industry leaders advocating for safety measures and the administration prioritizing rapid technological dominance.
The story so far
4 episodes →- Trump and Johnson warn AI pause risks ceding lead to Chinathis story
Trump and Mike Johnson think the AI industry is overreacting
The Verge AI · 13 September 2026
Yesterday, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published a lengthy open letter saying it was time to “pace the frontier” and slow down AI development. OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Elon Musk both agreed, publicly voicing their support on X. Even Alphabet’s Demis Hassabis offered tentative support for Amodei’s proposal.
Trump and Mike Johnson think the AI industry is overreacting
The Republicans fear slowing down AI development could give China the edge.
Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, however, seem to think the AI executives are being overreactive and fear that a pause could lead to China outpacing the US in the AI race. According to the Financial Times, Trump said “Look, we’re leading China in AI ... and, frankly, I want to keep it that way, because whoever wins AI, wins.”
Johnson echoed those sentiments on CNN, telling Jake Tapper that rushing to place restrictions on AI development could be a “national security threat.” He urged people not to panic. “If Congress just races in and does some sort of emergency session to try and regulate AI, we will lose the race to China.”
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This text was published by The Verge AI and written by Terrence O’Brien. It is reproduced here with attribution so you can read it in full; the rights remain with the publisher. Read it at the source ↗
Coverage and discussion
10sources- A global AI safety strategy depends on US-China cooperation. They each see the other as the problemPress · newsday.com ·
- Trump calls Nvidia CEO on stage, puts AI fears on speakerphone and calls them a "hoax"Press · calcalistech.com ·
- Beijing Reads Anthropic CEO's AI Safety Essay As A 'Cold War' AttackPress · aol.com ·
- Trump says no need for more AI regulation, slams Anthropic CEO Dario AmodeiPress · cnbc.com ·
- Trump Rejects Calls for AI Guardrails, Blasts Anthropic’s AmodeiPress · finance.yahoo.com ·
- Beijing hits back at Anthropic CEO’s call to curb China’s AI developmentPress · mercurynews.com ·
- Trump Brushes Off Calls For AI Slowdown, Russian Drone Strike Hits Near Ex-CIA Chief: Live UpdatesPress · huffpost.com ·
- Trump downplays the need to check AI development and says he doesn’t want to cede edge to ChinaPress · baltimoresun.com ·
- Ron DeSantis Accuses OpenAI and Anthropic of Trying to Become ‘Too Big to Fail’—Warns of ‘Bailout 2.0’ if AI Giants FalterPress · yahoo.com ·
The headline, key points and digest above were generated by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources. Automated summaries can contain errors: the sources are the record. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
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