'Disgusting conspiracy' that only China would welcome, Trump says

Calls out Anthropic CEO for 'acting like a perfect little angel'; vows administration will use 'massive criminal and regulatory power' over AI firms

One Trump story a day — because in an era when a single word from the US president can shake global markets, keeping up matters.

US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday (local time). [AFP]
US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday (local time). [AFP]

US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) sharply condemned the growing calls within the AI industry to slow the pace of development, labeling the movement a conspiracy.

In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that "a disgusting conspiracy" was targeting AI and data centers, and that "the only country that would be happy about" it is China.

"Whoever wins in AI will win. We are ahead of China and every other country, and we will stay that way," he wrote, adding: "Conspirators, traitors, betrayers, leakers — beware."

The warnings come as AI researchers have increasingly raised alarms about the risks of rapid technological advancement, with calls spreading across the industry for guardrails and a more measured pace of development. Some researchers have warned that AI could escape human control and pose a serious threat to humanity. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and other prominent AI executives have also voiced support for slowing development.

Trump had already shrugged off those calling for a slowdown as "negative forces" during a press exchange while visiting Ireland on Monday (local time), signaling he would maintain the current aggressive pace of AI development.

His Truth Social posts went further, framing the slowdown argument as a "disgusting conspiracy" in notably sharper language than he had used the previous day.

On the question of government regulation — a key demand of slowdown advocates — Trump argued that "the only control or safety needed for AI is a strong, smart (high-IQ) president, and we have that in abundance."

He particularly singled out Amodei, one of the leading voices for a more cautious approach, accusing him of "acting like a perfect little angel."

Trump added that the administration had stopped and would continue to stop AI industry figures like Amodei from "doing bad things or potentially bad things," adding: "We already have massive criminal and regulatory power over these companies."

In a separate Truth Social post, Trump dismissed the slowdown push once more, writing that "the only reason the rapid growth of AI and data centers is happening is because the US is so far ahead of every other country" — and urging critics: "Don't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs."


mokiya@heraldcorp.com