US President Donald Trump has rejected calls from leading technology executives to slow the pace of artificial intelligence development, stating his primary concern is maintaining America's technological edge over China.

Speaking to reporters during a trip to Ireland on Sunday, September 13, 2026, Trump acknowledged the potential need for some regulatory "guardrails" but expressed skepticism about the urgency of current warnings, suggesting that "negative forces" were raising unfounded concerns.

His remarks followed a public call by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei for the AI industry to voluntarily slow down advancements to allow for the development of safety measures. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk publicly supported Amodei's position, highlighting internal discussions at OpenAI about pacing AI progress.

The debate intensified following the public resignation of former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher Jacob Coxon, who cited concerns about AI potentially exceeding human control. This event prompted several US lawmakers, including Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer and Republican Congressman Mike Lawler, to introduce bipartisan legislation aimed at ensuring human oversight of AI systems.

Concerns over the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence have become a prominent issue in the current election cycle, partly fueled by the construction of numerous computing data centers across the United States. These facilities have raised public alarms regarding their impact on water supplies and electricity costs.

Despite growing public unease surrounding data centers, President Trump has historically expressed support for their development. This stance aligns with his broader emphasis on technological progress and national competitiveness.

Former White House AI advisor David Sacks, now co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, has also weighed in, suggesting that the AI industry itself is capable of self-regulation and pacing its own development. Sacks indicated that the industry's leaders are actively discussing these issues.

The differing perspectives highlight a growing divide between policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers regarding the appropriate speed and oversight for AI development, with national security and economic competitiveness emerging as central themes in the discussion.