US President Donald Trump has confirmed he will hold a private dinner on Sunday evening with Dario Amodei, the chief executive of artificial intelligence company Anthropic. The meeting, first reported by Axios, marks the first one-on-one encounter between the two men after a prolonged period of public disagreement over the pace of AI development.
Speaking to reporters upon returning to Joint Base Andrews near Washington from a golf tournament in Chicago, Trump joked about his long day and the late meal ahead. "And tonight, I'm having dinner with the head of Anthropic, so these are long days, but I seem to be able to handle it. Right?" he said. "So now I'm having dinner with Dario from, as you know, very highly respected, from Anthropic."
The dinner invitation comes just two days after a federal appeals court upheld the Pentagon's decision to classify Anthropic as a supply chain risk, effectively barring the US military from using its Claude models. The startup had been sanctioned by the Trump administration after refusing in February to allow its technology to be used for fully autonomous weapons or domestic mass surveillance.
Trump has previously criticised Amodei, accusing him of trying to be "a perfect little angel" after the Anthropic chief called for a temporary halt in AI development. Amodei has repeatedly warned about the risks of superintelligence and urged a more cautious approach, while Trump insists that American companies cannot afford to slow down for fear that China will gain a strategic advantage.
Amodei was notably absent from Thursday's state dinner at the White House for Chinese President Xi Jinping, an event attended by other AI industry leaders, including his main rival Sam Altman of OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT. The dinner with Trump now appears to be an attempt to bridge the gap between the administration and one of the sector's most vocal safety advocates.
Diverging views on AI regulation
The meeting underscores the deep divisions within the US over how to handle advanced AI. While Amodei has called for international coordination and safety pauses, Trump has dismissed such concerns, arguing that the US must maintain its lead over Beijing. Asked on Sunday about a series of security incidents involving advanced AI models—including hacks into commercial and government websites—Trump said, "I'm not worried about it."
This stance contrasts sharply with the approach taken in Europe, where the EU AI Act has introduced binding rules for high-risk systems. The legislation, which is already influencing global standards, aims to curb deceptive practices and ensure human oversight. European policymakers have watched the US debate with interest, as decisions made in Washington will shape the transatlantic technology landscape.
The dinner also comes amid a broader diplomatic moment: Trump hosted Xi Jinping in Washington this week, with both leaders projecting unity even as trade tensions simmer. European capitals are closely monitoring the outcome of that summit, as any US-China agreement on technology could have ripple effects across the Atlantic. Europe watches the summit with a mix of hope and caution, aware that its own tech industry could be caught in the crossfire.
For Anthropic, the dinner represents a potential thaw in relations with the White House, but the company's core concerns remain unresolved. The Pentagon ban, upheld by the court, is a significant blow to its commercial prospects. Yet Amodei has shown no sign of backing down from his safety-first stance, which has earned him respect among researchers but also made him a target of administration criticism.
Observers note that the meeting could be an opportunity for Trump to bring a prominent critic into the fold, or for Amodei to press his case directly. Either way, the outcome will be watched closely in Brussels and other European tech hubs, where the debate over AI governance is equally intense. The EU's regulatory framework is already setting precedents, and any shift in US policy could influence how European companies navigate the global market.
As the dinner takes place, the fundamental question remains: can the US balance innovation with safety, and will Europe have a say in that equation? For now, the answer lies in the hands of two men at a White House table.
