By Gatestone Institute | Created at 2026-09-16 08:05:13 | Updated at 2026-09-16 08:53:49
48 minutes ago
Pictured: US President Donald Trump displays an executive order related to artificial intelligence regulation, in the White House on December 11, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Imagine the following scenario:
Albert Einstein pens his famous letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, warning him that the Nazi Germany has the scientists and the means to produce a weapon of enormous destructive power. It would be called the atomic bomb.
But, in this scenario, Einstein then says it could unleash untold devastation on humanity, so do not build it.
The Nazis, under no such compunction, accomplish such a challenge and the world as we currently know it is just a lengthening shadow of what might have been.
That is exactly what is occurring in the debate over whether the United States' current lead in artificial intelligence should be placed in shackles. It is also why President Donald J. Trump, a student of history, recognizes that in doing so we would be handing the Chinese an enormous strategic advantage in their pursuit of global dominance.
Does there need to be appropriate oversight of AI? Of course there does, just the way there are protocols for the use of nuclear energy and multiple safeguards regarding our nuclear arsenal. However, it is clear to every world leader that the role of AI cannot be overstated and that unilaterally placing restrictions on its development places our nation's future in danger.
The executives of those AI corporations, surrounded by billions in wealth, have little at risk during their current round of hand wringing except the ire of their stockholders. President Trump literally has the fate of the free world before him. He is correct in warning the nation that whoever loses the AI race loses its future. While there needs to be an appropriate debate about AI policy and possible safeguards there can be no pause in America's pursuit of AI dominance if we are to protect the future of democracy.
Einstein understood the enormous power of the atom but equally important, the threat it posed when deployed by a regime so malignant that it will always define evil. When Roosevelt received Einstein's message, he too recognized the existential threat of being runner-up in the race for the bomb. He authorized "The Manhattan Project" — and America's ultimate triumph during World War II was assured.
Much has been written about the transformative role of drones on the battlefield in Ukraine and the Middle East. However, listen to military leaders such as members of the U.S. Joint Chiefs and they will tell you that drones are already "yesterday's news." Presently, the focus is on AI and how it will have a strategic role in determining who will win the next conflict.
Roosevelt faced a pivotal turning point in America's future based on his decision to approve enormously powerful technology. Today, President Trump can tip his hat to his long ago White House predecessor and report, "We got this."
Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
