Trump, Johnson Reject Calls to Slow AI Development
President Donald Trump said Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, his administration does not need to check the development of artificial intelligence. He spoke to reporters at his Doonbeg golf resort in Ireland. He played down the need for new constraints on development AP.
Trump said dire warnings that AI could go rogue were exaggerated. He said the United States is leading China in AI and wants to keep it that way because "whoever wins AI, wins." He said about AI: "we can put guardrails, we can do this and that," while saying "negative forces" are raising concerns that shouldn't be raised NPR. He denounced demands for regulation.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also weighed in Sept. 13 on CNN's State of the Union. He said there should not be a moratorium on AI because "China will overlap us" NPR. He rejected a pause.
Johnson said tech companies should take the lead in creating safer AI. He said if Congress holds an emergency session to regulate AI, the U.S. will lose the race to China. He acknowledged the need for "some guardrails, some safety measures" so AI "doesn't run away" ABC7. He said he would support talks with tech leaders on artificial intelligence Politico.
Their comments followed an essay posted the previous day by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei calling for companies and governments to slow improvement of AI capabilities.
Looking at what this means for Washington, the statements align the White House and House leadership around an industry-led approach. Trump framed federal restraint as a competitive choice. Johnson framed congressional restraint the same way. Neither called for new legislation.
In my view, the near-term question for staff is process, not substance. Johnson drew a line between talks with tech leaders and an emergency session to write rules. Talks keep the issue in oversight and negotiation. An emergency session would put it on the legislative calendar. He said he favors the first and opposes the second.
The broader context here for readers who manage policy risk is the definition of guardrails. Both men used the word. Trump said guardrails can be added without slowing development. Johnson said tech companies should take the lead in building them, with some safety measures to keep systems from running away. That leaves open who sets standards, who enforces them, and what happens if voluntary measures fall short. Those details were not addressed in the remarks reported Sept. 13.
