Trump and Johnson Oppose an AI Pause to Stay Ahead of China
President Donald Trump said Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, the federal government does not need to slow development of artificial intelligence. He spoke to reporters at his Doonbeg golf resort in Ireland. He said new limits on AI work are not needed AP.
Trump said warnings that AI could go rogue, or act beyond human control, were exaggerated. He said the United States leads China in AI and must keep that lead because "whoever wins AI, wins." He said "we can put guardrails, we can do this and that," meaning basic safety rules, and said "negative forces" are raising concerns that should not be raised NPR. He said he opposes demands for regulation.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sept. 13 on CNN's State of the Union there should not be a moratorium, or formal pause, on AI because "China will overlap us" NPR. He said he opposes a pause.
Johnson said tech companies should take the lead in making AI safer. He said if Congress holds an emergency session to write AI rules, the U.S. will lose the race to China. He said there is a need for "some guardrails, some safety measures" so AI "doesn't run away" ABC7. He said he supports talks with tech leaders on artificial intelligence Politico.
Their comments came a day after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei posted an essay calling on companies and governments to slow improvement of AI systems.
Looking at what this means in Washington, the two statements point to the same industry-led approach. Trump described federal restraint as a competitive choice. Johnson described 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 discussion. 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 tracking policy risk is what guardrails mean. 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 safety steps to keep systems under control. The remarks reported Sept. 13 did not address who sets standards, who enforces them, or what happens if voluntary steps fall short.
