Key facts
- Donald Trump's sons' ventures have secured a $620 million Pentagon loan and a Marine Corps robotics contract.
- Michael Dell won a Pentagon contract worth nearly $9 billion.
- Donald Trump has publicly defended AI and opposed new restrictions, citing a "conspiracy against AI."
- Concerns about AI risks have been raised by former researchers from OpenAI and Anthropic.
- A cybersecurity firm demonstrated an AI-powered worm that could compromise over a billion devices.
- The House voted to make data centers responsible for electricity grid upgrade costs.
Donald Trump's administration is resisting new restrictions on artificial intelligence, a stance that has drawn scrutiny as his family and close allies have accumulated significant financial interests in AI-related defense and technology ventures. Trump has publicly defended the industry, posting on Truth Social that the only guardrails AI needs is a "STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT" and calling opposition a "SICK conspiracy."
Trump's sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, have been involved in several AI-linked ventures. Their investments through Dominari Holdings helped launch American Data Centers Inc., an AI infrastructure venture. Separately, through Vulcan Elements, a rare-earth magnet startup whose products are used in AI data centers, drones, and defense systems, they have benefited from a $620 million Pentagon loan. Eric Trump also serves as chief strategy adviser to Foundation Future Industries, a robotics startup that secured a $24 million Marine Corps contract.
Longtime friend Michael Dell's company won a Pentagon contract worth nearly $9 billion. David Sacks, co-chair of Trump's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, has argued that new AI regulations could hinder US competitiveness against China and dismissed industry warnings about AI risks as "political theater."
However, concerns about AI's risks are also coming from within the industry. Researchers like Jacob Coxon from OpenAI and Anthropic have resigned, warning of the dangers of self-improving superintelligence. A California cybersecurity firm also demonstrated an AI-powered worm capable of rapidly compromising devices.
Public opinion appears to be shifting, with a recent poll showing low support for AI data centers and a majority of Americans believing Trump has handled AI poorly. The House of Representatives has also taken steps to address AI's infrastructure costs by voting to require data centers to bear the expenses of electricity grid upgrades.