Trump Says DOJ Threatened AI Leader With Jail
The president described a stern warning to an unnamed executive during a recent interview.
By Jillian Foster ·
President Donald Trump told 60 Minutes that his administration threatened an unnamed artificial intelligence executive with arrest. He said the Justice Department told the leader of a major AI company, “Get ready to go to jail. Please give your wife a kiss good night.” Trump did not identify the individual or the firm, referring to the person as the head of “one of the big ones.”
The president responded to questions about executive warnings regarding model safety by downplaying the danger. “I think that the risk is not nearly as real as it, as they talk, and I think the risk can be managed, and it’s managed,” he said. He attributed this management to the DOJ, claiming the threatened executive “totally changed everything” after the warning.
Trump has previously dismissed the term artificial intelligence as a label used by his political opponents. During this interview, however, he used the term AI repeatedly. He later switched to using SI, or super intelligence, for China’s efforts. “..all in to SI, as I call it, because it really is super intelligence. It’s a much better name, I think, because it’s not artificial,” he stated.
Host Ross Douthat asked if the president would collaborate with Democrats on safety measures. Trump agreed, saying, “I don’t mind guardrails, but I don’t want to put us in a deep second position. We’re leading number one.” He compared U.S. regulations to China’s, noting that under President Xi, “whatever President Xi says goes.”
The interview aired on November 9. Trump’s comments come as tech leaders continue to debate the pace of safety checks for new models. The president’s remarks suggest a preference for strong executive oversight over bipartisan legislative frameworks.
