Washington, DC: US President Donald Trump has accused critics of artificial intelligence and data center expansion of masterminding a “SICK conspiracy” that could help China succeed in the race for technological dominance.
He made the comments on Monday (September 14 local time), responding to warnings from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei about the speed of advances in artificial intelligence and the risks associated with powerful systems. The US President said that attempts to slow down the progress of AI could undermine America’s leadership in this technology.
“Whoever wins will win!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, claiming that the US is ahead of China and other countries in the field of artificial intelligence.
Amodei warned that AI development is accelerating at a rapid pace. Highlighting the risks, the Anthropic executive said AI systems could help develop the next generation of AI models, a process of “recursive self-improvement.”
He said this could ultimately allow advanced artificial intelligence systems to evolve faster than efforts to understand and control them. His concerns have been complemented by calls for safety measures in the development of ever more efficient artificial intelligence systems.
Trump criticizes Anthropic CEO over artificial intelligence safety
The US president directly criticized Amodei and rejected calls for new security rules designed to slow the development of the technology industry.
He argued that the United States has sufficient legal and regulatory powers to crack down on companies engaging in harmful activities. He said strong leadership is more important than more government regulations and safety nets.
“The only control or ‘fence’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (high IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the US has that in abundance!” Trump wrote.
He accused Anthropic’s CEO of presenting himself as a “perfect little angel” while warning about the pace of AI development.
“The Trump Administration has stopped AI ‘humans’ from doing bad or potentially bad ‘things’ like Dario (Anthropic!) and we will continue to do so! We already have enormous CRIMINAL and REGULATORY power over these companies!” he added.
Trump then directed his criticism toward opposition to new data centers needed to provide computing power for advanced artificial intelligence systems.
“There is a SICK conspiracy against AI and data centers and the only one happy about it is China,” he wrote.
“WHO WIN, AI, WIN! We lead China and everyone else, and will continue to do so. Conspiracy theorists, traitors, backstabbers and leakers, BEWARE! Thank you for your attention to this issue!” he added.
In a follow-up message, he said the ongoing criticism of AI and data centers is because the United States leads in technology.
“The only reason there is an AI/DPC surge is because the United States is ahead of every other country in so many ways. Don’t kill the Golden Goose!” he wrote.
China’s response came the same day: Beijing called for greater openness and cooperation in the development of artificial intelligence.
When asked whether China’s advances in AI could pose risks to US national security, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman called AI “an important technology for the future of humanity.”
He called for “open and inclusive AI for the benefit of and for all” and warned that “fear-mongering, confrontation and vicious competition” could harm efforts to create robust rules for the technology.
State-run Chinese newspaper Global Times also criticized Amodei’s call to slow down the development of artificial intelligence. The newspaper quoted Chinese technology experts as saying that framing AI as a national security competition between the US and China could turn AI security into a geopolitical issue.
Experts say AI security is an international issue that requires cooperation between countries.
The comments come amid China’s efforts to promote international cooperation on AI governance. At the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a people-centric approach to AI and consensus-based international rules.
China has also proposed creating a BRICS open-source community in the field of artificial intelligence. This proposal is part of cooperation in the field of emerging technologies, including digital industries, smart manufacturing and science and technology talent.
Sam Altman hints at AI safety pact
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also supported collaboration on AI safety. In an interview with Fortune magazine on Friday (September 11), he said leaders of large artificial intelligence labs will eventually be able to work together to reduce the risks associated with advanced artificial intelligence systems.
“I’m not going to pre-announce private discussions that I think should be published in the group at some point,” he said.
“But yes, I think it will happen,” he added.
Leading artificial intelligence companies are considering ways to manage the risks posed by increasingly powerful systems.
Trump’s statements put the debate over the safety of artificial intelligence on par with the US-China race in the field of artificial intelligence. His administration has supported expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure, and Beijing has called for open development and international cooperation on the technology.
Disagreement concerns the pace of AI development, the role of government regulation and the future of international AI rules.
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