During his September 22, 2026 address to the United Nations General Assembly, President Donald Trump criticized what he described as attempts to create a “globalist scheme” for controlling artificial intelligence.

He also argued for continued U.S. development of advanced AI and said U.S. government documents would refer to AI as “super intelligence.”

What is the dispute about?

The comments come amid a larger international debate over AI governance.

Some governments and technology leaders are calling for stronger international cooperation on AI safety.

Other policymakers emphasize national control and technological competitiveness.

The difference is partly about how AI risks should be managed.

Should countries create common international rules?

Or should individual governments retain primary authority over AI development?

Trump's position

Trump's UN remarks emphasized encouraging U.S. AI development rather than broadly restricting it.

He also linked AI leadership to competition with China.

Separately, the United States has been involved in discussions about AI safety, incident reporting and cooperation with other countries.

That means the U.S. policy conversation contains multiple strands rather than one single approach.

Why does this matter?

AI development is inherently international.

Models, chips, cloud infrastructure and research talent cross borders.

At the same time, governments are increasingly treating AI as a strategic technology connected to economic and national security interests.

That creates tension between international coordination and national policy.

What businesses should watch

Companies operating internationally should pay attention to:

AI export controls

Data regulations

Model restrictions

Infrastructure policy

International safety standards

Government procurement rules

The debate over a global AI framework is still evolving.

For businesses, the practical challenge is preparing AI systems that can operate across changing regulatory environments without becoming dependent on one jurisdiction's rules.