President Donald Trump said the risks of artificial intelligence can be managed and that he doesn't mind guardrails, in a 60 Minutes interview that aired Sunday. The condition: any rules cannot leave the US trailing China. The post-midterm interview was conducted by Ross Douthat at the White House.
Douthat asked Trump whether the US should accept AI risks in order to stay ahead of China. Trump said the dangers were manageable and signaled he was open to working with Democrats on safeguards.
“I think that the risk is not nearly as real as it-- as they talk. And I think the risk can be managed.”— Donald Trump, President of the United States
On regulation, Trump drew the line at competitiveness. He said he did not want rules to put the US in a deep second position, and argued that China has no comparable restrictions on its own AI development.
“I don't mind guardrails. But I don't wanna put us in a deep second position. We're leading number one.”— Donald Trump, President of the United States
Key facts
- 01Trump said on 60 Minutes, aired Nov. 8, that AI risks can be managed and he doesn't mind guardrails.
- 02He said rules must not put the US in a "deep second position" behind China.
- 03Trump called himself an AI bull and said Xi Jinping is "all in" on what Trump calls SI, or super intelligence.
- 04The interview was conducted by Ross Douthat at the White House following the 2026 midterm elections.
- 05Trump did not specify which AI safeguards he would be willing to sign into law.
When Douthat called him an AI bull, Trump agreed and tied his view partly to a recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who Trump said had left the White House two weeks earlier. Trump said Xi is all in on what Trump calls SI, for super intelligence, a label he said he prefers because "it's not artificial."
Douthat put it to Trump that the US is in a race with China. Trump agreed and framed the stakes in winner-take-all terms.
“And if-- and I've said whoever wins that race wins. The level of power of winning that race is very important.”— Donald Trump, President of the United States
Douthat also noted that Trump had hosted the industry's AI executives at the White House, which Trump confirmed.
Trump did not say which specific guardrails he would support, and he has previously favored letting technology companies police themselves. It remains unclear at what level he would accept binding safeguards.
The remarks land as Democrats, set to take control of Congress after the midterms, prepare AI hearings and legislation. Proposals in circulation include the GUARD Act, covering AI companions and minors, the AI LEAD Act on AI liability, and frontier-model bills with pre-release safety audits. No hearing dates have been set, and the new Congress has not yet been seated.
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