Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Tuesday directly challenged President Trump's dismissal of artificial intelligence risks, calling the president's assertion that AI dangers are a "hoax" out of touch with reality.
"Come on, it's not a hoax. It's a real thing," Tillis told reporters at the Capitol. The outgoing senator, who has a background in advanced technology, emphasized that the potential harms of AI are well-documented and demand serious attention.
Tillis's remarks come after Trump took to Truth Social on Monday to dismiss lawmakers' and tech leaders' calls for a slowdown in AI development. "AI taking over the World, destroying Humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX," the president wrote, framing the push for safeguards as an overreaction.
Trump also cited competition with China as a reason to accelerate AI efforts, arguing that "whoever wins AI wins" overall. That stance has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle, with Sen. Bernie Sanders slamming Trump's "ignorance" on AI risks in a separate rebuke.
Tillis pointed to the recent public statements by industry leaders as evidence that the concerns are legitimate. Over the weekend, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for universal safety guidelines and external evaluations to "pace" AI development. His recommendations were backed by prominent figures like Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
"Look, what CEO in the world who has a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders would go out in public and say, 'We need some guardrails on what we can do?'" Tillis asked, noting that such voluntary calls for oversight from profit-driven companies should signal the seriousness of the issue.
"That by itself should invalidate any assertion that this is a hoax and something we shouldn't be concerned with," he added.
The debate over AI regulation has intensified as Congress weighs potential legislation. While some Republicans have echoed Trump's skepticism, Tillis's comments highlight a growing split within the party on how to handle emerging technologies. The issue also carries political implications, with the GOP facing a challenging midterm environment and Trump's influence over the base being tested.
Tillis, who is not seeking reelection, has been one of the more vocal Republicans on tech policy. His criticism suggests that even within the president's own party, there are voices pushing back against the administration's hands-off approach to AI.
The White House has not yet responded to Tillis's comments. Meanwhile, tech companies continue to develop AI at a rapid pace, with experts warning that without proper oversight, the risks could escalate.
