Trump Calls AI Safety Warnings a ‘Hoax,’ Refuses to Back Guardrails Anthropic and OpenAI Insist Are Needed to Help Prevent Human Extinction
Donald Trump has dismissed warnings about artificial intelligence as a “hoax” in response to recent claims from AI safety researchers that the technology poses existential risks to humanity. An Anthropic researcher previously stated there is a greater than 10% probability that AI could cause human extinction within the next decade, prompting major AI company leaders to call for a global slowdown in development and government-imposed safety guardrails, including third-party-monitored kill switches.
Trump rejected these calls for caution through posts on Truth Social, characterizing AI safety concerns as exaggerated. His position received public support from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, whose company profits substantially from the AI industry boom. During an appearance on the All-In Podcast, Huang praised Trump for dismissing what he called “AI doomsaying,” suggesting the president had “saw through all of that” regarding extinction-level risks.
The disagreement highlights a significant divide within the technology industry. Major AI developers like Anthropic and OpenAI advocate for implementing comprehensive safety measures and development restraint, while hardware manufacturers and other industry figures align with Trump’s skepticism about AI existential risks. This tension reflects broader debate over the pace of AI development and the priority given to safety protocols versus rapid technological advancement and commercial deployment.