WATCH: AI safety scare sparks Cap Hill fight over guardrails: 'China's going to eat our lunch'
Trump’s dismissal of AI danger warnings as a "hoax" is fueling a Capitol Hill debate over whether Congress can impose new safeguards without slowing U.S. development and handing China an advantage.
"I don't think President Trump really knows what he's talking about," Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Fox News Digital. "I do think we don't need to be just complete doomsdayers about it. "
"[Trump] says almost everything is a hoax that he doesn't agree with," Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said.
U.S. President Donald Trump pauses as he walks alone along an ivy-covered wall during his final departure from Aras an Uachtarain on Sept. 12, 2026, in Dublin, Ireland. (Artur Widak/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The comments come after three top leaders in AI called for the slowdown of AI development, insisting the rapid speed at which the technology is developing poses serious safety risks for humans. Some Anthropic researchers even went as far to say that the pace AI is moving at could wipe out humanity.
But Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., warned against allowing safeguards to impede American development.
"It's not unreasonable for us to expect to have some guardrails," Sheehy said. "I mean, it's gonna be the most world-changing technology of our era."
He continued, "We don't wanna slow it down cause if we slowdown, China will win," he added. "But we also need to make sure that it's being done safely."
Some Democratic lawmakers say the industry’s own warnings strengthen the case for congressional action, arguing that concerns raised by the companies developing AI should be difficult for Washington to ignore.
"The American people don't normally hear from the businesses themselves saying that, ‘you know, we got some concerns about our own products,’ right?" Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., said. "So when that happens, I think people are paying attention."
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Current New Jersey Democratic Senator Andy Kim speaks during hearing on Capitol Hill. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"What I would love to see is for my Republican colleagues to realize that when the CEOs of these organizations are saying we need some guardrails, that maybe it's time to step up and have Congress do its job," Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said.
The recent widespread panic has intensified an already active debate in Congress, prompting more bipartisan efforts by lawmakers to introduce legislation that enforces guardrails on AI, and control over how quickly it continues developing.
These calls for additional safeguards are colliding with the growing concern that slowing AI development in America could allow China to gain ground in the global technology race.
"China is the only one that benefits from the United States slowing down AI," Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said. "They're the biggest beneficiary of it.
"If we stop now, China's going to eat our lunch," she said.
Mace, along with other Republican lawmakers, are warning that the intentions of AI companies calling for a slow down and government intervention also may be deceiving.
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"These AI companies are beneficiaries of [a slow down] too because the big three are cornering the market, and more regulations and slowing it down helps them monopolize the market," Mace said.
The debate is set to move beyond Capitol Hill next week, when Trump hosts Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington for a summit where conversations are expected to be had regarding AI and safety risks.
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who agreed a slow down is needed in AI development, is expected to be among the technology executives attending Trump's state dinner for Xi.
Hannah is a Production Assistant for the Politics team at Fox News Digital.
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