Donald Trump Calls for ‘Kill Switch’ to Control AI Development

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has highlighted the need for a “kill switch” to address the risks posed by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), warning that unchecked AI development could threaten human life. Trump’s concerns reflect growing unease about the swift expansion of AI technologies.

In an interview aired on Fox News Network, Trump remarked that AI is advancing at an unprecedented pace, raising the possibility that it could jeopardize humanity’s future—a risk that cannot be ignored. He acknowledged that AI can enhance security and efficiency in sectors like banking but emphasized that serious risks are also involved. Trump has consistently called for stringent government oversight of AI progress and urged serious consideration of measures such as a kill switch to regulate advanced AI systems.

A “kill switch” refers to a safety mechanism designed to immediately shut down a system in emergencies. In the context of AI, it would allow for the prompt deactivation of any AI system that becomes uncontrollable or dangerous. However, Trump has not clarified how such a kill switch would operate or who would hold authority over its control.

This statement from Trump emerges amid cybersecurity experts expressing concerns about Cloud Mytho$, a new AI model developed by AI company Anthropic. Experts warn that this AI model could potentially enable more sophisticated and powerful cyberattacks. Nevertheless, Anthropic has confirmed that it will not make the preview version of its Cloud Mytho$ model publicly available to general users.