Trump Meets Anthropic CEO Amid AI Safety Dispute

President Donald Trump hosted a private one-on-one dinner with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei at the White House on Sunday, September 27. The meeting follows months of conflict between the administration and the AI startup, which the Pentagon designated as a supply chain risk in February. This designation was recently upheld by a federal appeals court, prohibiting the U.S. military from using Anthropic's Claude models after the company refused to allow its technology to be used for autonomous weapons or domestic mass surveillance.

During the meeting, Amodei advocated for slowing the pace of AI development to manage existential risks. Trump dismissed these concerns as a "hoax," arguing that the United States maintains a lead of approximately 12 to 18 months over China. He asserted that implementing strict regulations would allow China to overtake the U.S. in the technological race.

The dinner served as a prelude to a broader AI summit scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, where Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson will meet with various tech executives to discuss policy and launch a new AI-powered government website. While the White House described the dinner as "productive and constructive," the meeting occurred against a backdrop of internal tension, including a memo from Republican allies characterizing Amodei as an enemy with deep Democratic ties.