Jimmy Fallon on Monday took aim at former President Donald Trump's recent comments dismissing the need for new "guardrails" to regulate artificial intelligence. Trump, posting on Truth Social, argued that the only control AI needs is a "STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT."
Fallon, during his opening monologue on "The Tonight Show," quipped, "Well, I feel better." He further joked that Trump, who has no apparent academic or professional background in AI, claimed he could personally keep the technology in check. Trump wrote on Truth Social that concerns about AI are part of a "SICK conspiracy" and that "We already have tremendous CRIMINAL and REGULATORY power over these companies!" He suggested that only China would benefit from AI regulation.
Trump's remarks came after Dario Amodei, CEO of AI company Anthropic, called for a slowdown in AI development and greater safeguards. Amodei had explained in an essay that AI could spiral out of control, causing significant economic and national security harm.
Fallon also parodied Trump's understanding of AI, suggesting the former president believed AI stood for "American Idol" and joking that Trump had spoken with Ryan Seacrest about safety concerns. The host suggested Trump's approach would involve renaming AI to "American Intelligence."
The late-night host also touched on fears surrounding AI advancement, referencing a recent resignation by an Anthropic researcher who warned of AI's potential to cause harm by the end of the decade. This warning, along with others, has prompted calls for federal regulation from lawmakers across the political spectrum.
Fallon noted Trump's statement that AI risks are "more good than bad, by a lot," and quipped that Trump was not eager to stop something that allowed him to create images of himself as Jesus riding a bald eagle. He also joked that Trump blamed "very negative forces" for exaggerating AI concerns and suggested the formation of a "Very Negative Force Force" to combat them.