Former President Donald Trump has characterized fears surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) safety as a "hoax," publicly criticizing calls for increased safeguards on the rapidly advancing technology. Trump made these remarks in a series of social media posts on Monday, comparing AI safety concerns to what he described as the "Global Warming Scam," which he attributed to the "Radical Left Dumocrats." He also referred to himself as "the Hoax Buster," drawing parallels between AI anxieties and the "RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA HOAX."
Trump's comments come amid a growing debate within the AI industry and among policymakers regarding the potential risks posed by advanced AI systems. Jack Clark, a co-founder of the AI firm Anthropic, had recently told the BBC that a mandatory, third-party-auditable "kill switch" for dangerous AI might be necessary for the industry. Clark's statement followed warnings from several executives and staff at leading AI companies about the risks AI could pose to humanity, which had triggered a selloff in some tech stocks as investors considered the implications of a potential slowdown in AI development.
In one of his posts, Trump stated, "There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China. WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS!" Chinese state media echoed a similar sentiment on Monday, reporting that experts had warned "Washington's growing anxiety over China's rapid AI development appears to be increasingly distorting its policy priorities." Xin Qiang, a professor of American Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times that the U.S. fears China's competitive advancement in AI, potentially accelerating China's progress if the U.S. slows development or tightens regulations.
The discussion around AI safeguards has involved prominent figures from across the political spectrum. Senator Bernie Sanders has expressed urgency, stating on BBC's Newsnight last week, "we have got to do something immediately to stop the uncontrolled growth of AI." He cited "the existential threat of the possibility of humanity being wiped out."
On the industry side, Anthropic scientist Evan Hubinger indicated that the probability of AI causing human extinction within the next decade could be greater than 10%. This sentiment was amplified by a viral post from Jacob Coxon, a researcher who reportedly left Anthropic due to concerns about AI's existential risk. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei had previously called for a slowdown in AI development and increased monitoring, a proposal echoed by the heads of rival firms OpenAI and xAI, Sam Altman and Elon Musk, respectively. However, Amodei also stressed that any regulatory actions should not compromise commercial advantage.
Adding to the discourse, Microsoft AI recently published guidance on "humanist AI," with CEO Mustafa Suleyman telling CNBC that the company had been developing the framework for months and released it in response to the current debate surrounding the technology. The differing perspectives on AI development and regulation are set to be highlighted at an upcoming event, the "Pro-Human Assembly" in Washington, where former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon and Senator Bernie Sanders are scheduled to speak.