Trump says AI safety fears a 'hoax' as he rejects calls for greater safeguards

What the report says

U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed fears about artificial intelligence safety as a “hoax,” pushing back against renewed calls for stronger safeguards around the fast-developing technology. In social media posts on Monday, he argued that AI guardrails should be limited and framed concern over the sector as politically motivated. BBC World News reported that Trump’s remarks came amid a broader public debate about how much oversight AI should face.

The comments followed an interview in which Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark told the BBC that the industry may eventually need a mandatory, third-party-checkable “kill switch” for dangerous AI systems. Clark said many labs already have ways to shut systems down, but suggested lawmakers may need to require that capability across the sector. His remarks came as several executives and employees at leading AI companies have recently raised alarm about risks the technology could pose.

BBC World News said the discussion has also had market and policy effects. Investors sold shares in some tech firms on Monday as they weighed the possibility of tighter rules slowing AI development. Microsoft AI has also recently outlined a more cautious approach to model development, while figures across the political spectrum, including Steve Bannon and Bernie Sanders, are due to speak at a Washington event focused on a more human-centered AI policy.

Overall, the story highlights a growing split between those urging faster AI growth and those warning that industry self-regulation may not be enough. That tension is increasingly shaping debate in the United States and beyond, even as companies and governments weigh how to balance innovation, competition and safety.