The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the USA has that, in spades!
- Donald Trump
Translation
Concern over artificial intelligence (AI) is growing not just among ordinary people but also among experts working in the industry. From fears of job losses to the annihilation of the human race, the world is increasingly concerned about AI gaining sentience.
Even as the world celebrates events such as the World Humanoid Robot Games and embraces the Ghibli-style aesthetic wave and the most recent 80s trend, cautionary messages from the industry about the growing power of AI have also become more frequent. Amid all this, the million-dollar question remains unanswered: who is going to put the guardrails on it?
But one social media post wipes all that fear away. Staying true to the cliché, the superhero emerges from the United States with a simpler answer: the guardrail is the president.
Not just any president, of course.
A strong and smart one. A high-IQ one.
And fortunately for America, Trump says it has exactly that, in spades.
The president was responding to growing concerns over AI regulation and the possibility that increasingly powerful systems could pose serious risks. Rather than embracing more restrictions, Trump argued that the right leadership is enough.
He also dismissed fears that AI could eventually become dangerous to humanity, calling such concerns a “HOAX”. No, this is not déjà vu. This time, the “HOAX” is AI.
And regarding AI, perhaps — no, for sure — we have all been overthinking it. Just misunderstanding a machine.
But still, someone among the audience is asking questions: Who should regulate it? How should advanced models be tested? What happens when AI is used for cyberattacks, surveillance, scams or weapons development?
Trump, however, seems to have found the missing piece.
Presidential intelligence.
But really?
There is, unfortunately, a small problem with that theory. People who actually build these systems have something else to say - something a little less ‘presidential’.
Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, wrote on September 12 that the US government should require independent audits of the most advanced AI systems, known as frontier models.
In his essay, Amodei outlined a three-step framework aimed at slowing the pace of AI development and giving safety measures more time to catch up. The proposal received support from other AI industry leaders, including Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Their argument is essentially that AI is developing so quickly that safety measures need to catch up. The creators say the result may not be quite as exciting as a ‘High IQ president’.
Anthropic has also documented cases in which its AI models were misused in cyber operations, surveillance, scams, biological research and weapons development.
The strange thing about Trump's argument is not that he wants America to lead in AI. There is power politics behind that. The US is in a race with countries including China to develop powerful AI technology, with both sides viewing technological dominance as strategically important. Trump has explicitly argued that slowing AI development could allow China to pull ahead.
But what is confusing is the idea that a ‘High IQ’ president is the answer to a messy AI situation.
It is a very Trumpian solution. As they say, the modern problem requires a modern solution.
Make America ‘Artificially Intelligent’ again.
Preferably in capital letters.
While intelligence is becoming artificial, the stupidity remains original - just saying.
AI Status: Unchecked.
Guardrail Status: Presidential.
Safety Status: Under discussion.
