President Donald Trump has said he is not concerned that artificial intelligence could cause human extinction, according to CNBC. The comments come as debate intensifies over how quickly the technology is advancing and whether new guardrails are needed.

The president’s stance stands in contrast to warnings from within the industry itself. CNBC reports that more than a dozen researchers at leading AI companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, have called for a slowdown in the pace of development.

Those researchers have warned about rapid advances in the technology, according to the report. Their concerns reflect a growing divide between some of the people building advanced AI systems and political leaders weighing how to respond.

At the same time, lawmakers are proposing safeguards, CNBC reports, signaling that the policy conversation around AI risk is moving forward in some quarters even as the president plays down worst-case scenarios.

The exchange highlights a tension at the center of the AI debate: whether the technology’s rapid progress represents an opportunity to be embraced or a risk that requires caution and oversight. Trump’s dismissal of extinction-level fears places him on one side of that divide, while a number of industry insiders are urging restraint.

CNBC did not detail specific policy measures the president intends to pursue, nor the full list of safeguards proposed by lawmakers. The report frames the split as an ongoing disagreement between the White House and some voices within the AI research community.