Trump calls AI apocalypse warnings a hoax and warns against heavy regulation

On Monday, former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social and flatly rejected the growing chatter that artificial intelligence might one day turn against humans. “AI taking over the world, destroying humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX,” he wrote, drawing a direct parallel to the investigations into alleged Russian ties and his own impeachment over Ukraine during his first term.

Trump didn’t stop at the headline claim. He questioned why the very leaders of the tech industry were now shouting for tighter regulations, suggesting that overly aggressive rules could push these companies “into oblivion and bankruptcy.” In his view, the push for regulation feels more like a political weapon than a genuine safety measure.

He also brought China into the conversation, pointing out that President Xi Jinping has publicly promised that China will not stand in the way of AI development. Trump used the Chinese stance as a foil, implying that the United States shouldn’t lag behind or become overly cautious.

Perhaps the most concrete request came when Trump turned his attention to Google. The tech giant, according to the former president, announced plans for a massive AI “plant” in Finland after reportedly hitting permitting snags in the United States. “I am not happy about this, and want them to change their thinking,” Trump posted, hinting that the company should reconsider the overseas venture rather than sidestep domestic regulatory hurdles.

While the remarks sparked a flurry of reactions online, many tech insiders reminded observers that AI does pose genuine challenges—bias, job displacement, and the specter of autonomous weapons, to name a few. Yet for Trump, the narrative of an AI apocalypse sounds more like political theater than an imminent threat.

Whether his comments will sway policy debates remains to be seen, but they certainly add another layer to the already heated discussion over how, and if, the United States should curb the rapid march of artificial intelligence.