The meeting gathered top AI executives: Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic; Greg Brockman, president of OpenAI; Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon; Elon Musk, chief of X; Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia; Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google; Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta; and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.

Trump framed the AI race as a competition with China, saying the United States must stay ahead. He also warned that local opposition to data‑centre projects could force companies to move their facilities overseas.

AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton told CBC News that Trump “doesn't really understand AI” and called the president “ill‑advised” on the technology.

Some executives, including Amodei, Musk and OpenAI chief Sam Altman, have urged a slowdown and stronger safety measures. Others, such as Huang and Zuckerberg, said the risks are manageable and each company should ensure its own product safety.

The contrast between the White House’s promise of unrestricted AI growth and the safety concerns voiced by leading researchers highlights a growing tension: political leaders seek rapid innovation and global advantage, while many technologists warn that without clear safeguards, AI could pose serious risks.