Trump Rules Out AI Safety Cooperation with China Ahead of Tech CEO Lunch
The President's Statement
US President Donald Trump has expressed his reluctance to collaborate with China on Artificial Intelligence (AI) safety, claiming such cooperation would give Beijing an advantage over American companies. This statement came during a speech in Washington, just before hosting AI executives for lunch at the White House on September 29, 2026.
"A lot of people say, let’s do it together with China, but then they’re going to be able to immediately gain access to things that we know that they don’t know," Trump said. "We’re leading now over China and everyone else, and I want to keep it that way."
AI Discussions at the White House
Trump's remarks contrasted with Chinese President Xi Jinping's stance on AI, as discussed during his recent visit to Washington. Xi emphasized that AI must remain under human control, according to Reuters.
The lunch, co-hosted by House Speaker Mike Johnson, gathered prominent figures in the tech industry, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Jensen Huang, and Dario Amodei from Anthropic, among others. OpenAI's Greg Brockman also attended.
Industry Responsibilities and Global Regulations
The event followed growing pressure for AI regulations after a series of incidents where AI agents gained unauthorized access to systems, including Australia's Medicare portal. Elon Musk and Anthropic's Dario Amodei recently called on the UN Security Council to establish shared international safety rules.
Despite these concerns, Trump has dismissed such fears as hoaxes and rejected global efforts to regulate AI, advocating for companies to set their own standards. The White House expected few specific proposals from the lunch.