Former US President Barack Obama has called for a slower pace of artificial intelligence development and greater public involvement in decisions over how the technology should evolve, as a growing divide emerges between AI industry leaders and the Trump administration over regulation and safeguards.

Obama said on social media platform X that he was encouraged by leaders of major “frontier” AI companies recognising the need to slow development. He described the move as “a good and necessary first step” but said the broader question of how AI develops should become a central part of public debate.

“I’m even more encouraged by the growing recognition that how this powerful new technology develops should be at the center of our public debate,” Obama wrote.

He said AI could produce major advances in areas such as medicine, energy and education, but could also cause significant economic disruption, increase inequality and create risks of catastrophe.

Obama said he was neither an “AI accelerationist” who believes the technology will produce a technological utopia nor a “doomer” who believes it will inevitably destroy humanity.

Instead, he argued that the outcome would depend on decisions being made now by governments, companies and the public.

In an essay published Saturday, Amodei said the US government should introduce regulations requiring independent audits of the most advanced AI systems, commonly referred to as “frontier” models.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has also backed independent evaluators while stressing the importance of developing AI safely. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has proposed peer review, under which leading AI companies would test each other's models before new systems are released.

“WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS!” Trump wrote, arguing that the US was leading China and other countries and would continue to do so.

Trump also dismissed warnings that AI could take over the world or destroy humanity, comparing such concerns to what he called previous “hoaxes” over climate change, Russia and Ukraine and his impeachments.

He argued that AI and data centres could become the “Greatest Economic Development Engine in History,” surpassing the economic impact of industries such as oil, gold and the internet.

Trump has separately criticised opposition to data centres and permitting restrictions, warning that excessive regulation could push major technology projects outside the US.

“I feel a little bit weird about the fact that you have so many frontier AI tech companies kind of coming to the government and begging the government to regulate them,” Vance told reporters on Monday.

His comments highlight the administration's broader concern that regulations could undermine US competitiveness in the global AI race.

Johnson said discussions would focus on the responsibilities of AI companies to ensure safety and on what role, if any, the government should play.

The potential meeting comes as Washington faces growing pressure to balance rapid AI development with concerns over safety, economic disruption and the risks posed by increasingly capable systems.