Trump Says AI Risks Can Be Managed and He "Doesn't Mind Guardrails"
US President Donald Trump said the risks posed by artificial intelligence can be managed but signalled an openness to safeguards, telling CBS's "60 Minutes" that he "doesn't mind guardrails." Asked whether the United States should accept the risks of artificial intelligence in order to stay ahead of China, Trump said the dangers were manageable and expressed openness to working with Democrats on safeguards. He added that he did not want regulations to put the United States in "a deep second position" behind China, which he said had no such restrictions. Trump has previously favoured letting technology companies police themselves rather than imposing sweeping government restrictions, and he did not outline any specific regulatory proposals.
Trump Says AI Risks Can Be Managed and He "Doesn't Mind Guardrails"
US President Donald Trump said the risks posed by artificial intelligence can be managed but signalled an openness to safeguards, telling CBS's "60 Minutes" that he "doesn't mind guardrails." Asked whether the United States should accept the risks of artificial intelligence in order to stay ahead of China, Trump said the dangers were manageable and expressed openness to working with Democrats on safeguards.
"I don't mind guardrails"
"I don't mind guardrails," he told CBS, adding that he did not want regulations to put the United States in "a deep second position" behind China, which he said had no such restrictions. "If we don't have it, China's going to have it. That would put us at an unbelievable disadvantage," Trump told CBS about the race to develop artificial intelligence, which he calls "Super Intelligence." He further claimed, "We're leading number one. And China has no guardrails, by the way." Asked whether the risk is real, Trump said: "I think that the risk is not nearly as real as it — as they talk. And I think the risk can be managed." He also said the risk is managed "by the DOJ", describing a case in which an unnamed AI company leader was warned of jail — an account that rests only on the President's words in the interview, with no date, name or detail of what the person was accused of in the transcript.
A shift in tone, but no specifics
Trump has previously favoured letting technology companies police themselves rather than imposing sweeping government restrictions, and he once dismissed fears of an AI doomsday as 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," he said. His remarks suggest some flexibility in the President's position, but he did not outline any specific regulatory proposals or explain what form the safeguards might take. His willingness to consider safeguards does not necessarily indicate support for comprehensive federal regulation — his remarks were limited to expressing openness to guardrails and cooperation with Democrats, without identifying specific rules, regulatory agencies or enforcement mechanisms.
Why now
Trump's remarks come as Democrats prepare to take control of both chambers of the US Congress following the November 3 midterm elections, and as the debate over how governments should regulate advanced AI systems intensifies while technology companies continue developing new products. The interview, conducted by Ross Douthat for CBS's "60 Minutes", aired on 8 November. On Sunday, Trump also called Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang an honorable person and praised his contributions to the United States.
Sources
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