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ABSTRACT

A broad coalition including Democratic and Republican politicians, technology executives, and advocacy groups gathered in Washington to call for regulation of artificial intelligence development, amid growing concerns about the technology's potential risks. President Donald Trump has publicly rejected these calls, characterizing AI safety warnings as a hoax and asserting that existing safeguards and strong presidential leadership are sufficient to manage the technology.

The Jerusalem Post

Trump resists unified calls for AI regulation as bipartisan coalition pushes for action

Sep 15, 2026, 4:16 AM

A broad coalition including Democratic and Republican politicians, technology executives, and advocacy groups gathered in Washington to call for regulation of artificial intelligence development, amid growing concerns about the technology's potential risks. President Donald Trump has publicly rejected these calls, characterizing AI safety warnings as a hoax and asserting that existing safeguards and strong presidential leadership are sufficient to manage the technology.

Context

The Pro-Human Assembly event brought together figures rarely aligned on policy, including left-wing Senator Bernie Sanders and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, along with Democrats, Republicans, advocates, and actors. Sanders told the audience that Congress has been 'asleep at the wheel' and characterized Trump's approach to AI as reflecting 'ignorance regarding this issue.' Bannon called for cutting Chinese access to American AI development, saying the administration should 'quarantine' the AI ecosystem from the Chinese Communist Party.

Tech industry leaders including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Elon Musk have publicly expressed concerns about AI development pace and called for regulation. Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned last week citing concern that AI companies are 'gambling with our lives' in pursuit of 'self-improving superintelligence.' Amodei outlined a three-step framework in an essay proposing that the US government require independent audits of advanced AI systems.

Trump has stated on social media that 'the robots will not be taking over' and that 'the whole thing is a hoax,' characterizing the industry's push for regulation as part of a 'SICK conspiracy' benefiting China. He told Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in a separate conversation that he has 'common sense about AI' and questioned industry motives for seeking intervention. Trump wrote that the only guardrails AI needs are 'a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT.'

Vice President JD Vance told reporters he is skeptical of AI executives calling for government regulation, saying he finds it 'weird' that frontier AI companies are 'begging the government to regulate them.' House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated Trump is scheduled to meet with AI executives this week or early next week to discuss company responsibilities and the government's potential role.

Sanders has proposed legislative measures including a bill to pause advanced AI development until a regulatory body is established, though his previous proposals have failed to advance through Congress. Three US senators are reportedly working on a bill requiring AI companies to demonstrate reasonable precautions against harm from their tools. Some White House officials and congressional members oppose American regulation fearing it would allow China competitive advantage.

The Trump administration is in dispute with Anthropic over AI safety; US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blocked the company from certain military contracts after it refused to allow use of its Claude AI models for domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons. Anthropic sued in California court, and a US judge sided with Anthropic in one lawsuit on August 27.

All Perspectives
Senator Bernie Sanders and Democratic lawmakers: Congress has been 'asleep at the wheel' on AI regulation. The president's 'ignorance regarding this issue is truly embarrassing.' Sanders proposes legislative measures including pausing advanced AI development until a regulatory body is established.
Steve Bannon and some Republicans: AI regulation requires rising above partisan divisions because it represents 'a hinge in history' and genuine threat. The Trump administration should cut Chinese access to American AI, including by banning Chinese nationals from US AI labs, and should 'quarantine' the AI ecosystem from the Chinese Communist Party to enable proper regulatory thinking.
President Donald Trump: The robots will not be taking over and AI will not take over the world; the whole thing is a hoax. The only guardrails AI needs is 'a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT' and the USA has that in spades. The industry's call for regulation is part of a sick conspiracy benefiting China. The Trump Administration has stopped AI people from doing bad things, and will continue to do so.
Republican Congressman Chip Roy: When the president calls it a hoax, he's questioning whether the issue is real and what industry motives are. The question of whether control of AI could be lost is 'of course not' a hoax, and addressing where this could go is what needs to be addressed.
Vice President JD Vance: He is skeptical of the AI executives calling for regulation, finding it strange that frontier AI companies are coming to the government and asking it to regulate them.
AI industry executives (Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, Elon Musk): AI technology is developing at a dangerous pace and could bring catastrophic consequences. The US government should write regulations requiring independent audits of advanced AI tools. A three-step framework is needed to slow AI development pace and create time to manage its risks.
White House spokesperson Lauren Bis: The administration is enforcing election laws and safeguarding confidence in voting. Distrust in elections is caused by extreme Democrats. The Trump administration has good reason for pursuing allegations of voter fraud despite media and Democratic denial.
David Becker, Center for Election Innovation and Research: The administration's election rhetoric could prove to be mere bluster. Courts have repeatedly rejected the administration's efforts to change mail-in ballot rules and obtain confidential voter rolls. Sending armed agents to polling sites would likely be illegal and risk political backlash.
Election officials (bipartisan): Election officials across the country are adopting new strategies to prepare for political interference, misinformation, cyber attacks and threats of violence ahead of the midterms. The biggest threat to November's elections might come from the Trump administration itself as it seeks to expand the federal government's role in elections.

Where sources differ

  • Trump characterizes calls for AI regulation as a 'hoax,' while Sanders and other lawmakers characterize them as urgent and necessary responses to genuine risks. Trump also claims regulation serves China's interests, while proponents argue regulation protects American interests.
Gaps & Unknowns
  • No comment from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei responding to Trump's accusations that he is 'pretending to be a perfect little angel.'
  • No explanation from Trump administration officials regarding specific rationale for resisting AI regulation beyond appeals to American competitiveness versus China and characterizing concerns as a hoax.
  • No details on what specific regulations Sanders and other lawmakers are proposing, beyond Sanders's proposal to pause development until a regulatory body is established.
  • Limited details on the specifics of the bill three US senators are reportedly developing, beyond that it would require reasonable precautions.
  • No comment from House Speaker Mike Johnson or other Republican congressional leaders on their substantive positions regarding AI regulation, beyond his statement that Trump will meet with executives.
  • Unclear precise nature of the 'tools intended to keep AI safe' that Trump claims have already been used on Anthropic, per Nvidia CEO Huang's remarks.
Sources & Further Reading
  1. ABC News Australia — original — by Brad Ryan
  2. The Jerusalem Post
  3. Arab News — by Reuters
  4. Vox — by Cameron Peters

Read the original at ABC News Australia

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