WASHINGTON: Pentagon technology chief Emil Michael said on Wednesday, Sept. 16, that the Trump administration should not nationalize artificial intelligence companies or take partial ownership of them, as Washington faces a growing debate over AI safety, regulation and the rapid development of advanced technology.
Michael, the Department of Defense’s chief technology officer, made the comments during an interview with “Squawk on the Street.” He was asked whether the government should take ownership stakes in major AI companies as concerns grow over the speed and potential risks of advanced AI development.
“I hope not,” Michael said when asked about possible government ownership.
Michael said the government should avoid getting directly involved in running major AI companies. He argued that the leading U.S. AI companies have grown into some of the largest businesses in the world. “We don’t want government to get in the middle,” Michael said.
His comments come as the Trump administration has taken financial stakes in several private companies. Those moves include a 10% stake in Intel and a special “golden share” in U.S. Steel, which is now owned by Nippon Steel. But Michael said he does not believe the same approach should be applied to the AI industry.
He also pushed back against calls for stronger government regulation of AI companies. His comments come as some technology leaders have warned that the rapid development of increasingly powerful AI systems could create serious risks.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has called for a slower pace of AI development and greater government oversight to address potential dangers. Trump and members of his administration have rejected calls for a broad AI slowdown.
Michael said he sees a difference between regulating AI before products are released and holding companies responsible for products that fail to meet safety standards. He described the debate as a choice between the European approach of regulating technology in advance and an approach that allows companies to develop products while enforcing existing laws when problems occur.
Michael also addressed a recent cyberattack involving AI technology developed by Hugging Face. He called the incident concerning but questioned whether new regulations would have prevented it. “I don’t know what kind of regulation would stop that from happening,” Michael said.
At the same time, Michael warned against placing too much power in the hands of a small group of AI executives. He said existing U.S. laws should continue to be enforced and pointed to rules already overseen by federal agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission.
The debate comes as the Trump administration continues to support rapid growth in AI and the construction of data centers. The administration has also made competing with China in artificial intelligence a major technology and national security priority.
Trump has criticized calls for slowing AI development and has described some warnings about the technology as a “hoax” and a “scam.”
Michael echoed the administration’s concerns, saying he believes some people are trying to create fear around AI in ways that could lead to decisions that benefit established companies.
He also suggested that technology companies could voluntarily pause certain developments while they work to better understand the risks.
Michael further criticized what he described as extreme views about AI causing human extinction.
The comments add another layer to the growing U.S. debate over how to manage powerful AI systems while allowing American technology companies to continue developing the industry.
