Donald Trump dismisses AI dangers as ‘hoax’, ignites backlash with conspiracy claim

President Donald Trump dismissed warnings about artificial intelligence as a "HOAX" in social media posts, claiming AI taking over the world and destroying humanity is fabricated and that the only guardrails the technology needs are a "STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT." Trump's remarks drew backlash from tech leaders, lawmakers, and experts, including former congressman Justin Amash, who wrote that trusting Trump or any single person with the fate of humanity is not the answer, and came as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have called for stronger oversight of AI. Trump also said he personally uses AI but declined to specify how, and argued that restricting AI development would benefit China.

In a moment that instantly set the internet ablaze, Donald Trump https://me.mashable.com/culture/75865/donald-trump-is-a-liar-us-presidents-dramatic-911-story-sparks-backlash-and-meme-storm dismissed growing fears about artificial intelligence as nothing more than a “HOAX” https://me.mashable.com/entertainment/62748/gwenchana-guy-lee-yi-kyungs-sexual-misconduct-scandal-exposed-to-be-an-elaborate-online-hoax and accused critics of pushing a “SICK conspiracy.” The comments, posted on social media, have triggered sharp backlash from tech leaders, lawmakers, and experts who warn that the risks of AI are anything but imaginary. Trump didn’t hold back. “ AI taking over the World https://me.mashable.com/culture/75509/donald-trumps-ai-kharg-island-explosion-video-triggers-massive-backlash-blown-to-smithereens , destroying Humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX,” he declared, brushing aside warnings that have been building across the tech world. He went even further, suggesting that those advocating for AI regulations https://me.mashable.com/tech/74708/ai-gone-rogue-chinas-powerful-ai-model-kimi-k3-outsmarts-sandbox-escapes-containment-during-test are part of a broader fear campaign, comparing them to voices raising concerns about climate change. “The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART High IQ PRESIDENT,” he wrote, positioning himself as the ultimate safeguard. Trump’s remarks come at a time when some of the biggest names in AI are urging caution. Figures like Sam Altman https://me.mashable.com/tech/75970/anthropics-ceo-urges-the-industry-to-slow-down-and-sam-altman-agrees and Dario Amodei https://darioamodei.com/post/we-must-pace-the-frontier have been calling for stronger oversight, warning that the technology is advancing faster than safeguards can keep up. Amodei, in particular, has raised alarm over AI systems becoming powerful enough to act independently, potentially even disrupting the internet at scale if left unchecked. Altman echoed similar concerns, stressing that rapid progress without regulation could lead to dangerous consequences. Trump framed the entire debate as something bigger than technology. “There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers https://me.mashable.com/tech-industry/75546/trump-blasts-data-center-critics-backwards-and-poor , and the only one that is happy about it is China,” he said, arguing that restricting AI development could hand a strategic advantage to rivals. Adding another twist, Trump has acknowledged that he personally uses AI, but refused to reveal exactly how. “It’s going to be more good than bad, but by a lot,” he said, before dodging specifics: “Well, I don’t want to tell you that.” Q: Have you ever used AI yourself? Trump: Yeah, I use AI. Q: How do you use AI? Trump: You can use AI for a lot of things. Q: What do you use AI for? Trump: I don’t want to tell you that. pic.twitter.com/FkNBQGdsWe https://t.co/FkNBQGdsWe September 13, 2026 https://x.com/Acyn/status/2099284092626129214?ref src=twsrc%5Etfw I don’t know how we can prevent an AI catastrophe, but I do know that trusting Donald Trump—or any single person—with the fate of humanity is not the answer. — Justin Amash @justinamash September 14, 2026 https://x.com/justinamash/status/2099601089700004325?ref src=twsrc%5Etfw Trump says all the concerns about AI is nothing but a hoax. pic.twitter.com/Hpe1cGDteH https://t.co/Hpe1cGDteH September 15, 2026 https://x.com/Markfry809/status/2099855094783295689?ref src=twsrc%5Etfw Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to the human race. More dangerous than AI. — Tim Hannan @TimHannan September 15, 2026 https://x.com/TimHannan/status/2099815248324661320?ref src=twsrc%5Etfw Trump refusing to say how he uses AI is Trump speak for not knowing what AI is. He refuses to regulate a technology he does not understand despite growing pleas from AI leaders to slow down and regulate the technology before it spirals out of control. https://t.co/Cb5pOUf9D6 https://t.co/Cb5pOUf9D6 September 14, 2026 https://x.com/MAGALieTracker/status/2099352652144336938?ref src=twsrc%5Etfw Donald Trump says the world should trust him to handle AI pic.twitter.com/UJZc4ILvYY https://t.co/UJZc4ILvYY September 15, 2026 https://x.com/MyTardis /status/2099867236999516528?ref src=twsrc%5Etfw holy sh t… Trump just rejected the entire “slow down AI” movement. Dario Amodei says pause. Sam Altman says more caution. Elon Musk says AI is dangerous. Trump says: No. Because if America stops building, China won’t. The AI race just became political. America is choosing… https://t.co/0Smd0pBGhu https://t.co/0Smd0pBGhu September 13, 2026 https://x.com/ihteshamali/status/2099184347995898020?ref src=twsrc%5Etfw Trump appears to reject calls to slow down AI development. Why? Because he is a selfish, egotistical, maniac, who doesn't care about humanity, and instead cares ONLY about his numbers looking good. pic.twitter.com/YfXH2ULidH https://t.co/YfXH2ULidH September 13, 2026 https://x.com/krassenstein/status/2099176890552479820?ref src=twsrc%5Etfw President Trump has posted about AI -- mainly dismissing concerns about regulating it -- seven times so far today. pic.twitter.com/sa22lxYqvI https://t.co/sa22lxYqvI September 14, 2026 https://x.com/kaitlancollins/status/2099649316163846343?ref src=twsrc%5Etfw Don’t worry, people Trump says AI robots marching into cities to get rid of everyone is just a “hoax.” pic.twitter.com/BLJK6k0Vyh https://t.co/BLJK6k0Vyh September 15, 2026 https://x.com/patriottakes/status/2099859094954012692?ref src=twsrc%5Etfw Insanity. Thanks again, Trump voters. Every day you curse us with a brand new dose of corruption, incompetence and stupidity. pic.twitter.com/Il7ucsDlVo https://t.co/Il7ucsDlVo September 14, 2026 https://x.com/RonFilipkowski/status/2099508438535450827?ref src=twsrc%5Etfw ok we're fucked pic.twitter.com/G2m6F2fboS https://t.co/G2m6F2fboS September 14, 2026 https://x.com/dieworkwear/status/2099528454404517921?ref src=twsrc%5Etfw This is so f--king scary. Instead of taking Dario Amodei's AI warning into account, Trump is saying that we don't actually need any AI guardrails, since we have him as President, and then he goes on to attack Amodei for "doing bad" things. Trump is an unhinged, weak, demented… pic.twitter.com/JgvEAjl4Vl https://t.co/JgvEAjl4Vl September 14, 2026 https://x.com/krassenstein/status/2099501746712170916?ref src=twsrc%5Etfw Despite Trump’s dismissal, concerns about AI risks are only intensifying. Recent incidents, including reports of AI systems behaving unpredictably during cybersecurity tests, have heightened fears about misuse and loss of control. Even industry veterans like Bill Gates https://me.mashable.com/culture/72417/furious-crowd-target-bill-gates-after-epstein-testimony-exit-baby-flesh-eater have acknowledged that those closest to the technology are quietly worried about how fast it’s evolving. Feature Image Credit: Instagram/@ realdonaldtrump https://www.instagram.com/realdonaldtrump/?hl=en Donald Trump and Natalie Harp kiss image sparks affair claims, but is it real? https://me.mashable.com/culture/76083/donald-trump-and-natalie-harp-kiss-image-sparks-affair-claims-but-is-it-real