Trump Administration to Lead UN AI Discussion Amid Political Divides

WHO:

CNN - President Donald Trump, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jacob Helberg, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Claire Melamed (Vice President for AI and Digital Cooperation at the United Nations Foundation), Chinese President Xi Jinping.

ABC News - GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, state Sen. James Talarico, Tom Tiffany, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, Republican challenger Stacy Garrity.

NBC News - House Speaker Mike Johnson, Sen. Cory Booker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Geoffrey Hinton (referred to as the “Godfather of AI”), Dario Amodei (CEO of Anthropic), former White House AI czar David Sacks, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Apple’s Tim Cook.

WHAT:

CNN - The Trump administration will convene a high-level event on artificial intelligence on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

CNN - The US event is expected to discuss the “policy, legal, and regulatory conditions that enable adoption at scale, including free expression considerations.”

ABC News - Trump has dismissed concerns about AI development, calling it a "hoax" and arguing against comprehensive federal regulation.

ABC News - Polling shows that about two-thirds of adults believe AI is a bad thing for society, and 74% of Americans say the government is not doing enough to regulate AI.

NBC News - A recent NBC News Decision Desk Poll found that 70% of adults were more worried about AI than excited by it.

WHERE:

CNN - The US event will take place at the UN General Assembly.

ABC News - In Michigan, GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers has called for a "national security framework" on AI.

ABC News - In Texas, Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton has pitched himself as a champion of big tech regulation.

NBC News - The AI debate is intensifying ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington.

WHEN:

CNN - The US event is scheduled for Wednesday, coinciding with a UN Security Council meeting on AI and security.

ABC News - The midterm election is approaching, with significant political stakes.

NBC News - Xi Jinping is expected to visit Washington next week.

WHY:

CNN - The urgency of AI and security discussions is driven by warnings about the potential existential threat posed by artificial intelligence.

ABC News - Trump argues that regulation would disadvantage American AI development compared to China.

NBC News - Concerns about competition with China in AI innovation are prompting calls for new safeguards.

HOW:

CNN - The US event is billed as a chance to discuss partnerships on AI.

NBC News - House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that Congress needs to put up guardrails for AI but must ensure the US does not lose its edge in global competition.

(UPDATED September 18, 2026 23:00 UTC)

President Trump will host a high-level event on artificial intelligence at the UN General Assembly, coinciding with a UN Security Council meeting on AI and security. The event aims to address the policy and regulatory conditions necessary for the widespread adoption of AI, amidst growing concerns from the public, with polls indicating that about two-thirds of adults view AI negatively and believe the government isn't doing enough to regulate it. Meanwhile, as Chinese President Xi Jinping prepares for his visit to Washington next week, discussions around AI are intensifying, with calls for a national security framework and guardrails to ensure the U.S. maintains its competitive edge in this critical field.