DOMINANT ANGLE
New Delhi is mainly focused on the economic stakes of the dispute: behind the duel between Donald Trump and the AI bosses, it's the race with China and the fate of data centers that interests the Indian press.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Trump wrote on social media: "The only control or 'guardrails' that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT", rejecting any new regulation.
- 02
Trump attributes the controversy over data centers and the growing concern around advanced models to a "SICK conspiracy", without naming the authors.
- 03
The president stated he wants to maintain the US lead over China rather than give it up, asserting that "whoever wins with AI wins", as Xi Jinping is set to meet Trump at the White House later in September.
ANALYSIS
New Delhi, September 15, 2026. Three Indian economic dailies — The Hindu Business Line, Deccan Chronicle, and Times of India — have detailed Donald Trump's charge against calls to slow down artificial intelligence, without adding their own commentary on India, but instead emphasizing the economic and competitive dimension of the issue.
The articles report that the US President has described the growing controversy surrounding data centers as a "SICK conspiracy", stating that "the only control or 'safeguard' AI needs is a STRONG AND INTELLIGENT PRESIDENT (High IQ!), and the United States has one, and not just a little!". He also described the idea that AI could "take control of the world, destroy humanity" as a "HOAX".
The Hindu Business Line highlights that Trump refused to provide details on potential regulation, instead emphasizing competition with Beijing: "whoever wins with AI wins", he allegedly said from Ireland, adding that he wants to maintain America's lead rather than cede it to China. The same article recalls that Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit the White House later in September, with AI expected to be among the topics discussed.
Deccan Chronicle and Times of India detail Trump's response to Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, who initiated a call to slow down AI that was joined by Sam Altman (OpenAI) and Elon Musk. Trump allegedly stated that his administration had already prevented Anthropic from "doing bad things, or potentially bad things", citing a company already in the Pentagon's crosshairs, which has deemed it a risk to the supply chain. The Hindu Business Line notes that this quarrel puts "a sector that Trump has relied on as an engine of economic growth" directly at odds with the Republican President, whose political agenda makes accelerated AI adoption a priority.
None of the articles mention an official Indian reaction, nor do they explicitly link the issue to India's technological ambitions or its own data center projects. Times of India also quotes Trump's most blunt statement, published in a separate message in the afternoon: "when, in the history of business, have we seen industry leaders call for regulation that, if rigorously applied, would lead them to oblivion and bankruptcy?", before adding that the idea of AI "taking control of the world, destroying humanity" is a "HOAX".
SOURCES (3)
- Times of IndiaMEDIUM
- The Hindu Business LineMEDIUM
- Deccan ChronicleMEDIUM
