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Trump says DOJ warned a top AI executive of jail over 'bad' AI use
In a 60 Minutes interview, President Trump said the Justice Department threatened a leader at a major AI company with jail, and downplayed model-safety risk, The Verge reported.
- New headline Was: “Trump’s 60 Minutes interview touched on AI safety, threat to arrest an AI exec”
- Our desk filed its story
President Donald Trump said in a 60 Minutes interview that the Justice Department warned a top executive at a major AI company of possible jail time over alleged misuse of AI, according to The Verge1.
Asked about AI executives' warnings about their models' safety, Trump said the risk is not nearly as real as they describe and that it can be managed, The Verge reported1. He said the department is managing that risk1.
Trump described a report of someone doing something bad with AI, then a strong call that included the words "Get ready to go to jail," The Verge said1. He refused to name the person or company, saying it was the leader of "one of the big ones," and claimed the person then totally changed everything1.
Ross Douthat of 60 Minutes asked whether Trump would work with Democrats on AI safety; Trump said he absolutely would, The Verge reported1. He said he does not mind guardrails but does not want the United States in a deep second position, adding that China has no comparable guardrails1.
The Verge report did not independently confirm a Justice Department contact, identify the company or executive, or include a response from the department or from AI firms1.
