There’s A ‘Sick Conspiracy’ Against AI – Trump

US President Donald Trump has described opposition to the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centres as a “sick conspiracy,” insisting that the United States must maintain its lead over China in the technology.

Trump made the remarks while criticising Anthropic CEO, Dario Amodei, after the AI executive called for a slowdown in the development of increasingly powerful AI systems and greater monitoring of the technology.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the only guardrails needed for AI were strong presidential leadership and effective regulation.

“The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!” he said.

Trump said his administration had already taken steps to prevent AI companies from engaging in activities he considered harmful.

“The Trump Administration has stopped AI ‘people’ from doing bad, or potentially bad, ‘things,’ like Dario (Anthropic!), who is now pretending to be a ‘perfect little angel’ – and we will continue to do so!”

He added, “We already have tremendous CRIMINAL and REGULATORY power over these companies!”

The president further accused unnamed opponents of attempting to undermine the development of AI and data centres in the US.

“There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China,” Trump said.

“WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS!

“We are leading China, and all others, and will continue to do so. Conspiracy Theorists, Treasonists, Traitors, and Leakers, BEWARE!

“Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Trump’s comments followed calls by Amodei for caution in the race to develop more advanced AI systems, amid concerns over the potential risks posed by the technology.

The position has attracted support from other prominent technology executives, including Tesla and xAI boss, Elon Musk, who said Amodei was “right”.

OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, has also backed closer monitoring of AI development, saying current standards were not yet sufficient to justify pushing the technology much further.

Altman said OpenAI would introduce independent evaluators with “employee-like access” to the company, following Anthropic’s approach.

He later warned that the world must avoid a situation where humanity “lose[s] control of the future to AI” or where AI development results in “too much concentration of power.”

“When we talk about ‘pacing’, we do not mean ‘stopping,” Altman said, adding that progress “should be slower than it otherwise could be.

“We are unapologetically on Team Humanity, and AI must always serve people,” he added.

Trump’s criticism of Amodei comes amid a legal dispute between Anthropic and the US government over the military use of its AI technology.

The US Department of Defense designated Anthropic a supply chain risk in February after the company refused to allow its AI models to be used for certain military purposes, including surveillance and autonomous weapons.

Anthropic challenged the decision in court, arguing that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had exceeded his authority.

In August, a judge ruled in favour of Anthropic, describing the Pentagon’s action as “illegal and baseless.”

The dispute has further intensified debate over how governments should regulate powerful AI systems while allowing the technology to develop.

Trump, however, has consistently argued that the US must move quickly to maintain its technological advantage over China.

Speaking to reporters on Monday morning aboard Air Force One, Trump said AI could be used “for a lot of things right away” and acknowledged that he uses the technology himself, although he declined to disclose how.

He had made a similar argument during a visit to Northern Ireland, where he said the US was “leading China on AI… and, frankly, I want to keep it that way.”

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for greater international cooperation on AI governance.

At a meeting in India over the weekend, Xi urged countries to promote open-source technology and sharing, while renewing China’s proposal for a global AI governance pact.

Xi is expected to meet Trump in Washington later this month, with AI and the global race for technological dominance likely to feature prominently in discussions.