Trump meets OpenAI CEO Sam Altman at GOP convention amid AI slowdown debate

President Donald Trump met privately with OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman backstage at the Republican midterm convention on Thursday, a meeting requested by Altman, according to sources. The discussion focused on artificial intelligence and its expanding capabilities.

Altman has recently urged a slowdown in AI development, posting that "no amount of American competitive pressure should justify recklessness, or let capabilities get ahead of alignment and monitoring." He also announced that OpenAI will postpone its planned public listing this year for safety reasons. Elon Musk and Anthropic chief Dario Amodei echoed the call for a more cautious pace over the weekend.

Trump responded on his social platform, stating that AI needs only a "strong and smart president" for control and warning that regulation could lead to "oblivion and bankruptcy." He described AI as "the greatest economic development engine in history."

The president has previously opposed regulatory constraints on AI, revoking a Biden-era directive in early 2025 and signing an executive order to establish a federal framework that pre-empts state rules. In June, he signed a second order for a voluntary framework giving the government limited early access to new models. Altman expressed support for that order, saying the United States should continue building the "very best" AI models while ensuring safety.

The White House and OpenAI did not immediately comment on the meeting.