President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson are set to meet with top tech CEOs on artificial intelligence on Tuesday, Sept. 29, according to multiple sources familiar with the scheduled meeting.
The gathering follows weeks of dire warnings from leaders of the nation’s largest AI companies, who have pushed for slower development and tighter controls. Trump has spent months dismissing those concerns, calling the threat of AI a “hoax.” Johnson has signaled openness to the meeting, saying there will be a “deliberate discussion about the responsibility of the companies to maintain safety, and what role, if any, the government has to play in that.”
Trump’s Record on AI Warnings
Trump has spent months brushing off warnings from the AI industry. Earlier this month, leaders of top AI companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, called for slowing the pace of AI development.
Trump responded with defiance. He wrote in a social media post: “AI taking over the World, destroying Humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX.”
He added: “The warnings are a HOAX and there is a SICK conspiracy going on around AI.”
Last week, Trump said he would move to create a new “AI Force” and promised to appoint a new AI czar even as he continued to downplay concerns about the potential dangers of the technology.
His message has been consistent: the threat is overblown.
Johnson’s Stated Position
Johnson has been more measured. In remarks to reporters last week, he described the upcoming meeting as a chance for a “deliberate discussion about the responsibility of the companies to maintain safety, and what role, if any, the government has to play in that.”
The White House did not immediately respond to ABC News when asked about the meeting. Neither Trump nor Johnson has confirmed the full guest list.
The Companies Behind the Warning
Leaders of top AI companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, have called for slowing the pace of AI development.
Their warnings have grown louder in recent months.
What Johnson Wants From the Meeting
Johnson’s stated goal is to discuss corporate responsibility and government oversight. His comments suggest he believes companies have a duty to ensure their AI systems are safe, and he wants to explore whether the government should play a role in enforcing those standards.
The question is whether that role would involve regulations, oversight boards, or something else entirely. Johnson has not said.
The Political Context
The timing of the meeting is notable. The House of Representatives has left town early until after the midterms, which means there is little legislative action on AI regulation in the near term.
There has been growing pressure on Congress to regulate AI, but the chamber’s departure means any immediate action is unlikely. The meeting with Trump and Johnson could shift the dynamic.
The Companies at the Table
OpenAI and Anthropic are among the companies whose leaders have issued warnings. It is not yet clear which other CEOs will attend the meeting next Tuesday.
The Outcome at Stake
The meeting is a chance for the tech industry to make its case directly to the president and the speaker. The outcome could shape the national conversation on AI for months to come.
The key questions are:
- Which CEOs will attend, and what companies do they represent?
- Will Trump engage with the concerns raised, or will he continue to dismiss them?
- Will Johnson use the meeting to propose a path forward on regulation, or will he leave the door open for future discussions?
The answers will determine whether the meeting is a productive step or a photo op.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Sept. 29 | Trump, Johnson expected to meet with tech CEOs on AI |
The meeting is a chance for the tech industry to make its case directly to the president and the speaker. Whether they get a hearing is another matter.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs narrow rules against direct harm, like forcing companies to disclose safety failures they hid, and is against broader rules that hand the market to the incumbents. Trump’s record on AI warnings — dismissing them as a “hoax” — makes him an unreliable steward of regulation, while Johnson’s stated goal of a “deliberate discussion about the responsibility of the companies to maintain safety” points toward the kind of narrow oversight the paper supports.
The paper’s position is wary of big tech dominance and skeptical of rules that only the biggest firms can afford to follow. A meeting where CEOs warn of runaway development and the president dismisses their concerns is a strange stage for a serious discussion of safety, and the paper would prefer a setting where the companies are heard without being mocked.
Readers should watch for whether the meeting produces concrete proposals for disclosure and accountability, rather than vague talk about responsibility. The paper wants the companies to face the consequences of their own failures, not to have those failures hidden behind a wall of silence.
Source material: “Trump, House Speaker Johnson expected to meet with tech CEOs on AI next week: Sources,” ABC News.
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