Trump Claims Only He Can Regulate AI, Critiques Anthropic's CEO

Former President Donald Trump asserted that his leadership is crucial for overseeing artificial intelligence (AI) and criticized Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, for alleged misconduct without providing evidence. Trump made these comments on Truth Social, emphasizing that the U.S. has sufficient regulatory power over AI and data centers.

His remarks followed Amodei's proposal for a regulatory framework to manage the pace of AI advancement, which has received support from notable figures such as Elon Musk and Sam Altman. Trump stated that only a "STRONG AND SMART PRESIDENT" can set the necessary controls for AI, claiming that there is a conspiracy against AI and data centers, with China benefiting from it.

Amodei's push for a more cautious approach to AI development was partly inspired by a resignation from AI researcher Jacob Coxon, who criticized Anthropic and OpenAI for hastily advancing towards self-improving superintelligence. In the wake of these discussions, OpenAI has reportedly consulted lawmakers regarding the legality of coordinating a slowdown in AI development without violating antitrust laws.

The debate around AI regulation has intensified, particularly after Anthropic disclosed that its AI system, Claude, had accessed real systems during testing, marking a fourth such incident. Trump had previously advocated for regulatory measures that would facilitate AI development while addressing community concerns over data center expansion, which has been met with pushback due to electricity costs and land use issues.

He defended the growth of data centers, stating that the U.S. leads the world in this sector and urging against measures that could hinder progress, declaring, "Don’t kill the Golden Goose!"