U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he and leading artificial intelligence executives have reached a voluntary agreement on self-regulation for AI technology. The announcement came following a meeting at the White House attended by top leaders from major tech companies investing heavily in AI infrastructure across the United States.
Trump emphasized the importance of industry self-policing, stating that technology firms understand the need to monitor their own development efforts. Speaking to reporters outside the West Wing, he said the government would not impose restrictions on AI progress, dismissing calls for regulatory “guardrails.” “I will never stifle the growth of a technology that will be bigger than the industrial revolution,” Trump said during the unveiling of America.gov, an AI-powered chatbot designed to assist Americans in navigating government services.
The White House gathering included CEOs and founders from leading firms such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Amazon, and companies linked with social media and semiconductor industries. Among those present were Dario Amodei of Anthropic, Greg Brockman from OpenAI, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, and Elon Musk, whose social media platform X has developed the Grok AI model. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also attended. Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and House Speaker Mike Johnson were part of the event as well.
The meeting reflected contrasting perspectives within the AI community. While Trump expressed optimism about U.S. leadership in AI development, several executives had previously called for a pause or slowdown in AI rollout due to safety concerns. Amodei, Musk, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have urged caution following incidents of AI systems behaving unpredictably. However, some leaders like Huang and Zuckerberg have downplayed the urgency of these warnings, emphasizing internal corporate responsibility to safeguard AI products.
During the event, officials celebrated what they called a “Golden Age” propelled by what Trump referred to as “super intelligence.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that America.gov could soon enable fully online first-time passport applications, eliminating in-person visits currently required by processing centers.
Trump also indicated there was consensus on self-regulation supported by oversight from federal agencies such as the Department of Justice and the FBI. To address bipartisan opposition to new data centers in local communities, the executives agreed to increase financial support for local schools and explore ways to reduce energy consumption. Trump suggested that continued resistance might compel companies to relocate data centers overseas or to other parts of the country.
Separately, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a television interview that the company is taking a cautious approach to AI development. He confirmed halting the rollout of a new AI model due to safety concerns and highlighted the importance of pacing progress to build public confidence.
Trump portrayed the AI race as a global competition primarily between the United States and China, asserting that the U.S. currently leads and emphasizing his reluctance to cooperate extensively with China, despite recent agreements to establish a communication channel for AI-related incidents. “Why would I want to do anything?” he said, underscoring a competitive stance toward China’s AI ambitions.