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Trump Calls AI Development Slowdown a 'Sick Conspiracy' Amid Market Jitters
Summary
Former President Donald Trump has criticized calls from AI industry leaders to decelerate development, labeling the effort a 'sick conspiracy' as the debate weighs on major technology stocks.
Former President Donald Trump entered the debate over the pace of artificial intelligence development on Monday, labeling calls from industry leaders for a slowdown a "sick conspiracy" against the technology and its supporting data centers.
Trump Criticizes Calls for AI 'Guardrails'
In a social media post, Trump argued against implementing new controls on AI, stating that the "only control or 'guardrails' that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT," according to Investing.com. He claimed his administration had previously stopped AI figures, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, from pursuing potentially harmful actions, though he did not provide specific details.
Trump's remarks also emphasized a geopolitical angle, reiterating his desire to ensure the U.S. maintains its technological lead over China in the artificial intelligence race.
Industry Leaders Urge Caution
The former president's comments are a direct response to a growing chorus of AI executives advocating for a more measured approach to development. The catalyst was a recent essay by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who urged firms to decelerate the creation of advanced AI models, citing rising concerns over misuse and the potential for systems to improve themselves beyond human control.
Amodei's call for caution has reportedly received backing from other prominent figures, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, xAI's Elon Musk, and Google DeepMind Chair Demis Hassabis. This alignment among key industry players has signaled to investors a potential slowdown in the massive capital investment cycle fueling the AI sector.
AdMarket Reacts to Slowdown Concerns
The debate over the speed of AI innovation has created headwinds for technology stocks. On Monday, market sentiment was negatively impacted by the prospect of a deliberate slowdown in the sector.
Key AI-related stocks felt the pressure:
- Shares in chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA), a primary beneficiary of the AI boom, fell to their lowest point in nearly three weeks.
- E-commerce and cloud computing giant Amazon (AMZN), another major investor in AI, also saw its shares decline.
The broader, tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was dragged lower by the weakness in these and other related technology companies.
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