Zuckerberg, Musk and Huang Reportedly Press Trump Against AI Regulator

Billionaire technology executives Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Jensen Huang reportedly contacted President Donald Trump over a proposal to establish an industry-funded AI oversight body, according to a Wall Street Journal report cited by Forbes.

Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Jensen Huang have reportedly opposed some proposals for expanded government or industry regulation of artificial intelligence. [Photo: Mark Zuckerberg Facebook]

The Journal reported that the three executives opposed a proposal for an industry-funded regulatory and standards organization modeled on the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

The proposal was reportedly supported by some AI executives as a way to establish industry-wide standards and oversight. Google's Chief Scientist Demis Hassabis was among those associated with efforts to develop a FINRA-style body, according to the report.

People familiar with the discussions told the Journal that Zuckerberg, Musk and Huang each raised concerns about the proposal with Trump. The report said the initiative subsequently failed to move forward.

The reported dispute is part of a broader debate within the technology industry and the Trump administration over how AI should be regulated.

Meta CEO Zuckerberg and Nvidia CEO Huang have publicly argued against a broad regulatory slowdown, while other technology executives, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, have supported stronger safeguards and measures to manage the risks associated with increasingly powerful AI systems.

The Wall Street Journal separately reported that the Trump administration is divided over AI regulation, with some officials pushing for stronger oversight because of national-security concerns, while technology executives and Trump adviser David Sacks have favored a lighter regulatory approach.