Treasury Chief Bessent Pushes AI Self-Regulation, Proposes US-China Incident Alert System

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sharply criticized artificial intelligence executives who warn of existential risks while seeking federal intervention, calling for industry self-accountability and market-driven safety mechanisms instead. Speaking on The Axios Show on October 3, Bessent said warnings by AI leaders without concrete solutions amount to "alarmism" that undermine credible leadership. When pressed on CEOs claiming they might lose control of increasingly powerful models, Bessent responded bluntly: "Well, then they should slow down."