President Donald Trump responded on social media on Monday to growing pressure for a slowdown in artificial‑intelligence development, insisting that fears of an "AI takeover" were a hoax and that the only guardrails needed were a "strong and smart" president.
His stance clashes with senior Democrats and leading AI researchers who have warned of serious safety risks and are pressing for legislative action.
With Republicans holding majorities in both the House and the Senate, Trump’s opposition makes it unlikely that any new AI‑safety bill will gain traction before the upcoming mid‑term elections.
The House is due to recess at the end of the week, a move that Democratic leaders such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have urged to postpone until safeguards can be debated.
A group of House Democrats even wrote to Speaker Mike Johnson, arguing that while reasonable minds may differ on the specifics, the need for congressional action is undeniable.
Several legislative proposals are already circulating on Capitol Hill. In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune and Democrat Amy Klobuchar are drafting a bill that would subject certain AI firms to federal oversight, balancing innovation with threat mitigation.
In the House, Democrat Lori Trahan, working with Republican Jay Obernolte, has advanced the Frontier Act, which would empower the government to halt an AI model deemed an "imminent catastrophic risk" and require independent audits of AI labs.
Other ideas range from a federal "kill switch" to Senator Bernie Sanders’ call for a moratorium on new data‑centre construction for AI.
Speaker Johnson, when questioned about immediate action, described the issue as "very complex" and indicated that any role for Congress remains uncertain.
He did note that the White House plans a meeting with AI executives to discuss corporate responsibility and the possible need for government involvement, but he stopped short of committing to a special session or a delay to the House recess.
Experts remain divided on the best path forward. Asad Ramzanali, director of AI & Technology Policy at Vanderbilt University, said a congressional framework mandating safety testing would be welcome, but until such a law passes, companies retain autonomy.
Others, such as former Trump adviser David Sacks, dismiss the alarmist tone of some AI staff warnings as panic, arguing that companies should demonstrate safe practices or step aside.
Meanwhile, Alexandra Reeve Givens of the Center for Democracy and Technology warned that the voluntary framework the White House has set up lacks transparency, making meaningful federal regulation hard to achieve in the current political climate.
Source: BBC World News. View the original report.
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