Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) provided a jaw-dropping response to a question about what guardrails should be put in place around AI, amid growing industry concerns about the safety of this technology.

When confronted with calls to slow development, Cruz gave a talking point often repeated by AI proponents.

“You know who’s not pausing? China. They are not gonna stop,” Cruz said during an interview with Politico’s Dasha Burns that was posted on Thursday.

Burns pushed back on that notion, sarcastically asking him if the technology is going to kill humanity, it should be American AI doing it?

“I’ve actually joked that if – and this is somewhat tongue-in-cheek – but it’s not entirely, if they’re going to be killer robots, I’d rather they be American killer robots and not Chinese killer robots,” Cruz said.

Ted Cruz on AI: “I'd rather they be American killer robots and not Chinese killer robots.”He told our @DashaBurns that there needs to be “rules and guardrails” around AI but said that slowing down is an “impossible endeavor.”👇🧵 pic.twitter.com/00QBZBn434

Cruz’s comments follow increasingly dire warnings from within the AI industry that advanced models could lead to humanity’s extinction.

“The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade,” former Anthropic and OpenAI employee Jacob Coxon wrote in a now-viral series of posts on X.

Coxon’s posts, along with a current Anthropic employee concurring with his assessment, have prompted a renewed push from many lawmakers to increase regulations on AI and slow the development of more advanced models.

Cruz was not among those lawmakers calling for tighter regulations on AI and was ruthlessly mocked on social media for his comments about preferring American killer robots over Chinese ones.

Read reactions to Cruz’s comments here:

What about NO killer robots https://t.co/248dF2jns0

literally https://t.co/yY18H3n4dC pic.twitter.com/Bgvq7B6nVM

This is pretty dumb but basically this administrations AI policy which should scare all of us https://t.co/K1DqfMFcbX

Insane quote https://t.co/6YCtKxhgbK

Well that really puts minds at rest https://t.co/nZUNPYh5ub

Says the politician taking money from the companies making the American killer robots. https://t.co/prvyOQ0yCX

Ted Cruz actually said the thing  😭 https://t.co/HWaQ6UdVaf pic.twitter.com/PRDJQ9Vhqx

Cruz has said some insane shit in his career, but this might be the craziest https://t.co/aJfTXjN0Vc

By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.