Trump to meet with tech leaders amid calls for AI safeguards
The meeting comes as polls suggest a majority of Americans, across party lines, are concerned about artificial intelligence.
WASHINGTON —
President Donald Trump is expected to meet with tech leaders in Washington on Tuesday amid calls for safeguards on artificial intelligence.
Trump has warned that putting guardrails on AI could hinder innovation and has dismissed fears that the technology could one day destroy humanity as a “hoax.”
Ahead of midterm elections, a POLITICO poll found that roughly two-thirds of Americans are at least moderately concerned about that possibility, a concern that was shared by both Republicans and Democrats in the survey.
Some industry leaders have recently called for a slowdown in AI development to allow time for safeguards to catch up.
On Monday, OpenAI announced it was delaying the release of its new model, called GPT-6.1 Astra, following security concerns raised by its researchers. The company has recently disclosed instances of AI agents going beyond human instructions.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is also taking part in the president’s meeting with tech CEOs, told Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Fox Business” that Congress shouldn’t rush into regulating AI.
“We do not need a moratorium. We do not need to jump in and hyperregulate this because we’ll lose the race to China. The innovation is important to continue, but we have to strike the right balance. That’s what the conversation’s going to be about,” Johnson said.
Trump is also expected to highlight the benefits of AI on Tuesday as his administration rolls out America.gov. Fox News reports that the new AI tool is designed to simplify access to federal services. The White House didn’t immediately respond to requests for additional information ahead of the announcement.
This meeting comes on the heels of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week. Both leaders agreed to establish a communication channel to handle AI-related incidents and to engage in dialogue on the risks and benefits of the technology. The next exchange is scheduled for November. Experts have emphasized the need for stronger international safeguards, stressing that the U.S. and China must lead the way as the fastest developers of AI.
Meanwhile, Congress is expected to vote this week on the Ratepayer Protection Act, a bill aimed at shielding consumers from additional energy costs tied to AI-driven data centers.
Senate Democrats are set to discuss the bill’s path forward during their weekly party lunch on Tuesday. While some remain undecided on the bill, others argue it does not go far enough in requiring data centers to cover their own energy costs and grid upgrades.
However, some have accused Senate Democrats of trying to block an election-year win for Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, a Republican in a tight race that could sway the balance of power. The bill previously passed the House with near-unanimous support.
