President Donald Trump has ruled out any joint venture with China in artificial intelligence (AI), saying it would amount to giving away secrets to the U.S.’s main economic rival.
Speaking at a Washington event marking the launch of America.gov – an AI‑powered portal designed to streamline government services – Trump reiterated his opposition to restrictions that would slow the technology’s growth, even as public concern mounts.
Following President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to the White House, the U.S. and China announced a new AI dialogue and a communications channel to prevent misunderstandings during AI‑related incidents.
“If we do that, we’re going to be giving a lot of secrets that we have that they would want to have, or anybody else,” Trump warned. “Frankly, there is nobody in third place…it’s all between us and China.”
The president said that while AI was on the table during his meeting with Xi, he remains steadfast against any joint cooperation that would allow China immediate access to technology the U.S. considers advanced.
Domestically, a recent Politico poll found that two in three Americans believe AI poses at least a moderate risk of destroying humanity, and 44% of Trump supporters would prefer an AI pause. Trump has repeatedly dismissed these safety concerns as a “hoax,” comparing them to the “global warming scam” he claims is promoted by “radical left Dumocrats.”
