Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark has renewed calls for stronger safeguards around artificial intelligence, arguing that the United States can regulate the rapidly developing technology without surrendering its lead over China.
Clark’s comments came as President Donald Trump dismissed warnings about AI as “sick conspiracies” and insisted that the technology does not need extensive government guardrails.
Clark Warns Against Waiting for an AI Accident
Speaking to Fox News host Bret Baier on Monday, Clark said the industry needs a common safety framework before a serious incident forces governments to react.
He pointed to previous instances in which rogue AI agents have reportedly hacked into other systems as evidence that concerns about the technology are not purely theoretical.
“What we’re saying here is we need to get a sensible, common-sense safety framework in place for the industry,” Clark said, arguing that Americans should be able to trust the technology without society having to “roll the dice” on a potentially catastrophic accident.
Clark maintained that the US could introduce safety standards while continuing to compete aggressively with China.
Anthropic Wants Industry-Wide Standards
The Anthropic co-founder said individual companies cannot solve the problem by themselves and called for technology firms to work together on shared standards.
Anthropic has previously paused development of its Claude AI model in order to devote resources to safety, according to Clark.
“But we can’t act alone,” he said, adding that the industry needs a broader policy discussion about the rules that should apply to companies developing increasingly powerful AI systems.
Clark also encouraged Trump to make AI safety part of his conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, presenting the issue as an opportunity for governments to shape the future of the technology rather than a reason to abandon its development.
“This is not a scared moment,” Clark said.
“This is a moment to use our agency as people to decide the future we want.”
Trump Says AI Needs a “High IQ” President
Trump has taken a sharply different position, arguing that excessive restrictions could weaken America’s ability to compete with China.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, the president said the only guardrail AI needs is a “strong and smart (High IQ!) president,” insisting that the United States has one.
Trump also attacked Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, describing him as an AI alarmist while accusing critics of the technology of participating in a broader campaign against AI development and data centers.
The president claimed there was a “sick conspiracy” targeting AI data centers and argued that China would be the primary beneficiary if America’s development of the technology were slowed.
Trump Rejects Claims AI Could Destroy Humanity
Trump has repeatedly framed the competition with China as a reason for the US to maintain its pace of AI development.
“Whoever wins AI, wins,” he wrote, claiming that America is leading China and other countries and would continue to do so.
When reporters asked him on Sunday whether AI could ultimately wipe out humanity, Trump dismissed the possibility, saying it “won’t happen.”
His comments came amid a broader debate over whether the rapid expansion of advanced AI systems could eventually create risks that governments and technology companies would struggle to control.
President Questions Why AI Firms Want Regulation
Trump also questioned the motives of companies that have been calling for greater government oversight.
He argued that it was unusual for industry leaders to request regulations that could potentially restrict their own businesses, describing the current concerns about AI as a “hoax.”
Trump portrayed AI and the data centers supporting it as potentially the greatest economic growth engine in American history, comparing their importance with industries such as oil, gold, diamonds and the internet.
His position reflects his long-standing argument that slowing America’s AI sector would give Beijing an advantage in the global technology race.
Vance Raises Suspicion Over AI Companies’ Demands
Vice President JD Vance has similarly expressed doubts about technology companies asking Washington to regulate the AI industry.
Vance said he found it unusual that leading AI companies were approaching the government and effectively asking officials to impose rules on their own sector.
“It feels a little bit to me like a Trojan horse,” Vance told reporters Monday.
He nevertheless acknowledged the need for the United States to approach the technology carefully while remaining ahead of China.
“We know the Chinese are engaged in an AI race against the US,” Vance said.
“We want to do things smartly and stay ahead of the curve.”
David Sacks Warns of “Regulatory Capture”
Former Trump AI and crypto czar David Sacks has also questioned the motives behind calls for federal AI regulation.
Sacks raised the possibility of “regulatory capture,” in which powerful companies could support government rules that ultimately strengthen their own position in the market.
Under that scenario, larger firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic could potentially absorb the cost of complying with new regulations, while smaller competitors might struggle to meet the same requirements.
The dispute therefore places some of the biggest names in artificial intelligence on one side of an increasingly heated regulatory debate, while Trump and several members of his administration continue to argue that maintaining America’s technological advantage should remain the priority.
