Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has said artificial intelligence "doesn't need new laws or regulations", arguing that companies themselves should decide when to release new AI models rather than being overseen by external bodies. His remarks, made at a Salesforce-hosted conference in San Francisco, came alongside comments from OpenAI's Sam Altman, who said the public should trust AI firms to act responsibly, even as he acknowledged people are right to be fearful of the technology's rapid progress. The comments highlight a growing rift between AI industry leaders, who favour self-regulation, and critics who warn that safety cannot be left to the companies developing the technology.

Huang argued there should be no "false choice" between innovation speed and safety, describing safety as an "engineering problem" that firms should pause work on if confidence is lost. Altman's remarks were his first public comments since a former Anthropic researcher claimed AI could "kill all humans" by the end of the decade, a warning echoed by several other AI figures. Politicians including Senator Bernie Sanders and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon have pushed back against self-regulation, while President Trump has dismissed AI safety fears as a "hoax" and Congress remains divided over any regulatory framework, with no new legislation expected soon.