Mark Zuckerberg opposes national AI regulator in call with Trump

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed opposition to the creation of a national artificial intelligence regulatory agency during a phone call with US President Donald Trump. The proposal, which has been championed by Google DeepMind scientist Demis Hassabis and supported by some White House officials, suggests establishing an independent organization modeled after the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Zuckerberg’s concerns center on the potential for centralized oversight to stifle innovation and jeopardize the development of open-weight models, such as Meta’s Llama series. Rather than a formal regulatory body, Zuckerberg advocated for a ‘light-touch approach’ to avoid excessive licensing and enforcement hurdles. He suggested that any individuals appointed to such a body should reflect the administration's own approach to AI policy.

The proposed regulator would reportedly review advanced AI models and test them for potential risks prior to broad deployment. The debate follows discussions held by White House officials with several major technology companies, including Meta, OpenAI, and Anthropic.