WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States firmly rejects any attempt to control artificial intelligence.
Trump made the remarks in an address to the U.N. General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York on the 22nd, saying that AI would later be formally called "superintelligence."
Whoever masters superintelligence will be the winner, Trump said, adding that the United States is far ahead of China and every other country. The country will maintain that lead and will handle the issue very clearly and firmly, he said. He said his administration will not suppress the growth of an industry he described as more consequential than the Industrial Revolution, and that it will encourage rather than restrain it. The comments were seen as another direct rebuttal of calls within the AI industry to slow the pace of development.
On Iran, Trump said a major decision must be made on whether to allow the country to become one of the world's great nations or to destroy it swiftly. He said a choice must be made on whether to reach a deal with Iran and rebuild it, allowing it to become greater than ever before and perhaps one of the greatest nations in the Middle East or even the world. The alternative, he said, is to wipe it out quickly so that it can never again kill people and destroy countries.
Trump said he believes a deal will be reached right after the U.S. midterm elections, because it makes no sense for Iran not to negotiate.
The remarks were read as pressure intended to push Iran toward talks by intensifying the threat of national destruction. CNN, citing sources, reported that Trump wants to meet with Iran in New York if the conditions are right.
Trump urged countries around the world to join a campaign to isolate Iran economically. If nations stand together, he said, the world will soon be free of a terror threat from Iran that has lasted 51 years, and oil prices will fall far below levels seen when the conflict began.
Trump also said the United States will not tolerate any force hostile to it gaining a foothold anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, and that it will deploy unmatched military power if necessary to defend vital U.S. interests.
