Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) has asserted that former President Donald Trump is "compromised" on the issue of artificial intelligence regulation due to financial ties within his family. Ossoff pointed to 1789 Capital, a venture firm where Donald Trump Jr. is a partner, which has reportedly made significant investments in AI and data centers.
"They’ve invested heavily in AI labs. They’ve invested heavily in data centers," Ossoff stated on MS NOW's "The Last Word." "So the first family has a financial stake in this industry, and as a result, the president of the United States is compromised."
Reuters reported last year that 1789 Capital made substantial investments in AI, including in Elon Musk’s xAI. House Democrats initiated an investigation into the firm following its reported successes during the Trump administration.
Earlier on Monday, the former president took to social media to dismiss concerns about artificial intelligence, likening them to previous political controversies he has called "hoaxes." Trump wrote on Truth Social, "AI taking over the World, destroying Humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX, no different from RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA — UKRAINE, UKRAINE, UKRAINE — IMPEACHMENT HOAX #1 — IMPEACHMENT HOAX #2 — and all of the other HOAXES and SCAMS that America was forced to endure through the Destructionists’ and Deviants’ foul play and illegal conduct."
Ossoff contrasted Trump's stance with calls from tech leaders for increased AI regulation to mitigate potential risks. "We need to be fortifying the nation against bioterrorism, one of the most significant potential threats associated with this technology, but Donald Trump basically says we’re going to sit on our hands and hope for the best," Ossoff said.
Host Lawrence O'Donnell had previously described Trump as the "worst possible person" to address the potential dangers of AI. Ossoff echoed this sentiment, stating, "We already know that Donald Trump is a dangerously corrupt and incompetent man. The question is what we’re going to do about it."