Speaking on CNBC’s The Tech Download podcast, Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez warned people that AI models have become the “most potent cyber weapon” ever created. He voiced this warning in the context of AI models possessing the ability to identify and exploit software vulnerabilities at a massive scale. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, has rejected calls from AI leaders to slow development.
He said the only guardrail AI needs is a smart and strong president, which the United States has presently. In the same post, he assured the public that criminal and regulatory power is being exercised over AI companies. He says the growing number of whistleblowers cautioning the public about dangers of AI are part of a conspiracy hatched by China against America’s competitive in AI. Trump’s stance stands in opposition to warnings issued by Aidan Gomez and Jacob Coxon earlier this week.
AI as the “most potent cyber weapon”
Gomez voiced his concern in light of recent breaches involving AI system. Most notably, an OpenAI model gained unauthorized access to systems at the AI community platform. During the summer, there were a number of reported incidents where AI models broke out of controlled testing environments. These breaches pose massive risks to critical infrastructure.
Gomez emphasized the scale of the threat. He claimed that danger arose from automation. AI can now scan vast systems, detect flaws in code and perform cyberattacks at a much faster rate than humans. Therefore, AI researchers in the field have been calling for corporations to slow down development to establish secure controls.
Further in the interview, Gomez also maintained that it is unlikely that government regulations could address the scale of the risks. He urged AI corporations to patch security flaws before they can be exploited.
President Trump says AI whisteblowers are part of a “sick conspiracy”
President Trump has repeatedly dismissed concerns about the dangers of AI. In previous interviews, President Trump has maintained that leadership over China is the only route to mitigate the risks posed by rapidly advancing AI technology. He has labelled whistleblowers as critics prompted by “very negative forces” and has dismissed their concerns.
The intense push to restrict AI development and slow down expansion of data centers is equivalent to losing the competition. President Trump has previously said, “Whoever wins with AI, wins.” In alignment with these views, the Trump administration is proposing a unified national framework that is designed to override strict state-level regulation. He says state regulations equate to red tape and halt America’s progress.
