Trump Sides with Corporate Tech Giants, Downplays AI Safety in Nvidia CEO Call
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President Donald Trump, in a display of corporate allegiance, spoke with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang during a company-wide call, doubling down on unchecked AI development and dismissing legitimate safety concerns.
President Donald Trump called Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang during an Nvidia all-hands meeting on Monday, using the opportunity to once again signal his unwavering support for corporate-driven artificial intelligence development. Trump told Huang that the United States must outpace China in AI innovation, framing the issue as a nationalist competition rather than a global challenge requiring cooperation. He brazenly dismissed mounting worries about AI safety as a "hoax," accusing critics—many of whom are experts and advocates for public safety—of "playing right into the hands of a lot of people that don’t want to see it happen," including his political opponents and China.
Trump lavished praise on data centers, calling them "great," and irresponsibly likened AI to "the oil of the next 20, 25 years," suggesting the technology would eclipse even the internet in its impact, with little regard for the societal consequences. While he paid lip service to prudence, his rhetoric made clear that profit and competition take precedence over ethical considerations.
Huang, echoing Trump’s corporate-first mindset, agreed that the United States should dominate the AI race, stating, "We’re going to make sure that everybody wins in the AI race in America. Every industry, every company, every state, every people." This vision, however, ignores the risks of unchecked technological growth and the need for robust public oversight.
Nvidia declined to comment on the conversation or any future meetings. The call was recorded as part of a podcast Huang was producing and later shared on social media platforms, further amplifying the pro-corporate message.
Trump’s remarks come as several AI industry leaders and experts have called for slowing development and implementing stronger safeguards to protect society. Over the weekend, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged for safety measures, a stance echoed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Former President Barack Obama also called on Democrats to prioritize an AI agenda that centers public interest. In stark contrast, Trump has repeatedly labeled AI safety concerns a "sick conspiracy" and a "hoax" in recent posts, disregarding the voices of those advocating for responsible innovation.
The discussion occurred amid congressional debate on AI regulation, with House Speaker Mike Johnson siding with industry, suggesting that corporations should lead on safety measures, further sidelining the public’s role in shaping the future of technology.