# Trump waves away AI threat to humanity as he boasts of US lead over China > Source: > Published: 2026-09-11 14:00:30+00:00 # Trump waves away AI threat to humanity as he boasts of US lead over China - President Donald Trump dismissed fears that artificial intelligence poses an existential threat, arguing the U.S. must focus on maintaining its lead over China. - Speaking after the Republican midterms convention, Trump estimated that the U.S. currently leads China in AI development by roughly a year. - Texas Senator Ted Cruz echoed the concern, warning that slowing U.S. AI innovation would dangerously allow China to advance without guardrails. - The comments followed the resignation of former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon, who warned that AI leaders are recklessly pursuing superintelligence. - U.S. officials also accused Chinese firms of stealing AI intellectual property from American labs, drawing a sharp denial from Beijing.