Trump downplays AI risks and says an AI company leader was warned of jail

President Donald Trump told 60 Minutes that the dangers some AI executives describe in their own models are smaller than they suggest, and that the risk is already under control, The Verge reports. He credited the Department of Justice with handling that risk and described a case in which an unnamed AI company leader was threatened with arrest.

An unnamed executive and a warning

According to Trump, someone was reported to the government for misusing AI. He said officials contacted that person forcefully and told them to prepare for prison. He would not identify the individual or the company, saying only that it was the head of one of the large AI firms. He claimed the person changed their conduct completely after the warning. The account remains unverified, and no details about the alleged wrongdoing were given.

Guardrails and competition with China

Asked whether he would cooperate with Democrats on AI safety, Trump said he would. He added that he accepts some limits on the technology but does not want rules that leave the United States behind, describing the country as currently in first place. He contrasted the U.S. with China, saying China has no guardrails apart from whatever its leader, Xi Jinping, decides.

The Verge also noted his choice of words. Although Trump has previously suggested that the term "artificial intelligence" is used by his opponents, he used it repeatedly during the interview. At one point he said Xi was fully committed to what Trump prefers to call "SI", or super intelligence, arguing the name fits better because the technology is "not artificial."

What it means for technology users

For people who follow computing and the internet, the remarks signal that the current administration views AI safety concerns as manageable and favors limited regulation to keep pace with China. Developers, businesses using AI tools and everyday users may want to watch how federal enforcement and any bipartisan safety rules take shape, since both could influence how AI products are built and offered.