Trump made the comments flanked by tech and government leaders following the closed-door meeting. He said the group agreed on the self-regulation approach.
"There's a belief that there should be tremendous self-regulation, and we automatically have regulation with the Department of Justice, the FBI, all of that," Trump said. "But the self-regulation is very important."
The stance matters for how fast AI tools reach the public and what guardrails, if any, get built in before they do. That so many of the industry's biggest players sat down with the president shows how closely the White House and Silicon Valley are working together on the issue. Critics of self-regulation argue companies have financial incentive to move fast and skip safety checks. Trump's comments suggest the administration isn't planning to force the issue anytime soon.
A reporter asked Trump directly afterward whether anything could change his mind on tougher AI rules. His answer wasn't included in the available excerpt, leaving that question open as the debate over AI oversight continues in Washington.