Trump Praises Anthropic's Amodei After Dinner, Signaling Possible Thaw

Trump Praises Anthropic's Amodei After Dinner, Signaling Possible Thaw

Donald Trump said he "liked [Dario Amodei] a lot" after the two had dinner Sunday — their first private meeting following a period of sharp tension, which included a Pentagon dispute over contracts and a Commerce Department export-control action against Anthropic's newest AI model (later lifted). Trump told Time, "He's very smart... a little different from what I thought, but no, he gets it."

Trump and Amodei both attended a Tuesday summit of major US tech and AI leaders discussing growing concerns about the technology. Amodei and other executives have previously warned AI could pose existential risks and called for slower development or stronger regulation — but Trump signaled he still opposes new regulation, instead signing a voluntary-measures agreement with tech leaders (like allowing outside safety audits) rather than binding rules. He argued restrictions would let China pull ahead: "If you try to push for regulation, they might put you out of business... my attitude is, we're winning by a lot, and I want us to keep winning."

Trump also floated the idea of the US government taking equity stakes in advanced AI companies, similar to his Intel deal, saying he's open to something similar with OpenAI or Anthropic, though nothing is confirmed. Asked whether he trusts OpenAI's Sam Altman (who skipped Tuesday's lunch), Trump said, "I like him... I like Sam Altman, he's smart, Dario's smart, they're all smart. We're working with very high-IQ people. That's good — I like that."

AI has also become a midterm election flashpoint, with voters worried about data centers' energy use and costs, and AI's effect on jobs — a tension for Trump, who backs AI infrastructure expansion while repeatedly dismissing AI risk warnings as "a hoax," comparing them to climate change warnings.