The U.S. Attorney General, Todd Blanche, questioned on Tuesday the growing warnings about the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) and argued that part of the sudden political debate over potential regulation responds to electoral interests ahead of the November midterm elections. His statements supported the position taken by President Donald Trump, who has rejected new broad restrictions on the sector and warned that stifling American development could benefit China.
During a press conference at the White House, Blanche stated that fears of a potential takeover of humanity by AI systems, compared to movie scenarios like ''Terminator'', represent a attempt to influence the midterm elections. The official noted that several Democratic senators began to speak out simultaneously about the dangers of the technology after remaining silent on the issue for months.
Blanche maintained that the timing of these warnings is significant and defended that Washington's decisions on artificial intelligence should not be determined by electoral considerations. In particular, he highlighted the technological competition with China and warned that the United States cannot lose the race for leadership in AI to Beijing.
The White House maintains a favorable stance on continuing to develop this technology. Trump stated on social media on Monday that the United States already has sufficient mechanisms to act against the misuse of AI and rejected the need to impose new ''guardrails'' or regulatory barriers. The president also asserted that excessive regulation could harm the U.S. position against China.
The discussion intensified after Jacob Coxon, a former employee of Anthropic, published warnings last week about the potential risks of increasingly advanced systems. Coxon argued that those developing these technologies believe they could reach capabilities capable of causing serious harm to humanity before the decade ends. His comments were widely circulated and sparked new calls for regulation among lawmakers and figures in the tech industry.
