Trump dismissed AI catastrophe warnings as a hoax in September remarks

President Donald Trump dismissed warnings about AI threatening humanity as a "hoax" in social media posts on September 14. He argued that restrictions could undermine America's position in AI and benefit China.

Vice President JD Vance acknowledged that AI presents risks but questioned why leading developers were seeking government regulation. He said the administration wanted a careful approach and described the industry's appeals as a possible "Trojan horse."

The comments followed calls from OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman and Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei to slow advances enough for safety work to keep pace. Altman supported consistent federal safety requirements and independent scrutiny, while emphasizing that slower development would not mean stopping it.

At the time, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Trump planned to meet AI executives that week. Lawmakers in both parties were also seeking information from OpenAI and pursuing investigations, placing federal oversight at the center of the dispute.