Trump says he will not curb AI development ahead of meeting with tech CEOs

President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he will not "stifle" the growth of artificial intelligence, describing it as a development "bigger than the Industrial Revolution" and emphasizing the United States' leadership position. The comment came during an event unveiling a new AI-powered federal website and ahead of a scheduled lunch with top AI executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Tesla founder Elon Musk, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, Google chief Sundar Pichai, Nvidia head Jensen Huang, and others, as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson and members of the Trump administration.

Trump said he has discussed AI policy with Chinese President Xi Jinping and expressed no interest in international collaboration or regulation, arguing that cooperation would give China immediate access to advanced technology. He added that law-enforcement agencies such as the Department of Justice and the FBI would intervene if companies pursued a "dark and dangerous path" in AI development.

Zuckerberg, speaking at a separate event, argued that each lab has a responsibility and incentive to train models safely, pushing back against calls for a collective slowdown. House Speaker Johnson told reporters the upcoming discussion would focus on corporate responsibility for safety and the government's role, while warning that a moratorium could erode U.S. competitiveness against China.

The meeting follows recent warnings from AI researchers about potential threats and a broader debate in Congress over possible regulatory measures. The White House did not respond to requests for comment.