Doocy: Will 'Literally Everyone on Earth' Die From AI? Jean-Pierre: 'Thank You for the Drama' (March 30, 2023)

Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy brought an apocalyptic quote to the White House briefing room [2]. “There’s an expert from the Machine Intelligence Research Institute who says that if there is not an indefinite pause on AI development — this is a quote — ‘literally everyone on Earth will die.’ Would you agree that does not sound good?” he asked, as the room laughed [1].

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre laughed too. “Your delivery, Peter, is quite — it’s quite something,” she said [1].

The video above shows that exchange from the March 30, 2023, briefing. Quotes are from the official transcript published by the American Presidency Project [1].

”Literally Everyone on Earth Will Die”

The quote came from Eliezer Yudkowsky, “a decision theorist at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute,” Fox News reported. He had written that a six-month pause on “AI systems more powerful than GPT-4” understated the “seriousness of the situation” [2].

“Many researchers steeped in these issues, including myself, expect that the most likely result of building a superhumanly smart AI, under anything remotely like the current circumstances, is that literally everyone on Earth will die,” Yudkowsky wrote, according to Fox [2].

”It Sounds Crazy. But Is It?”

Doocy pressed on. “It sounds crazy. But is it?” he asked [1].

“All I can say is that there’s a comprehensive process in place. We put out a blueprint back in October, as you know. I don’t have anything to share. We have seen the letter. We understand what their concerns are,” Jean-Pierre said [1].

”One Thousand of the World’s Smartest People”

His first question had been about an open letter calling for a pause in AI development. “One thousand of the world’s smartest people are saying that AI (inaudible) pose profound risks to society and humanity. They want you guys to regulate it. Will you?” Doocy asked [1].

The letter was “signed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and other tech giants,” Fox News reported [2].

“You’re talking about the letter that was released yesterday? So, look, it highlights a number — a number of challenges addressed directly in — in the administration’s Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, which was released last October,” Jean-Pierre answered [1].

“Right now, there’s a comprehensive process that is underway to ensure a cohesive federal government approach to AI-related risks and opportunities,” she said [1].

”Self-Aware”

Doocy then asked: “So is President Biden worried that artificial intelligence could become self-aware?” [1]

“Look, we are — again, there’s a comprehensive process. We are taking this very seriously. We put our blueprint out back in October,” Jean-Pierre said. “I just don’t want to get ahead of our findings and what that — what that’s going to look like. But it is a cohesive federal government approach to AI-related risks, as you just laid out in a very dramatic way” [1].

The blueprint she kept citing was a “set of five principles and associated practices,” Fox News reported. Its principles included “algorithmic discrimination protections” [2]. Asked for comment afterward, Jean-Pierre referred Fox News Digital to the National Security Council, which “did not provide comment” after “more than 24 hours,” Fox reported [2].

”Thank You for the Drama”

Doocy came back to the quote. “Is there anything more dramatic than (inaudible) —” he began. When Jean-Pierre noted that he had just read it, he finished: ”— literally everyone on Earth will die?” [1]

“Pretty — pretty dramatic. Pretty dramatic,” Jean-Pierre said, to more laughter. “We’re going to move on. But thank you, Peter. Thank you for the drama” [1].

Congress Weighed In

While the White House pointed to its process, “lawmakers from both sides of the aisle in the 118th Congress appear to be finding common ground in calling for oversight of the burgeoning technology,” Fox News reported [2].

“I think what you have to do is to identify what is not allowed in terms of ethics and illegal activities, whether it is AI or not,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a leader of the Senate AI Caucus, according to Fox [2].

By the Numbers

1,000: “smartest people” Doocy said were warning about AI [1].
3: times Jean-Pierre pointed to the administration’s AI blueprint from October [1].
Oct. 30, 2023: the date of Biden’s AI executive order, No. 14110 [3].
5: principles in the Biden AI blueprint, per Fox News [2].
90-plus: federal actions in Trump’s AI Action Plan [4].
180 days: the deadline Trump set in 2025 for a new AI Action Plan [3].

What Happened Next

Biden’s AI order was scrapped. On Jan. 23, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an order that referred to “the revoked Executive Order 14110 of October 30, 2023 (Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence)” [3].

The new order set a different goal. “To maintain this leadership, we must develop AI systems that are free from ideological bias or engineered social agendas,” it said, directing officials to develop an AI Action Plan “Within 180 days of this order” [3].

Trump released an AI Action Plan. On July 23, 2025, the White House released “Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan.” It said “The Plan identifies over 90 Federal policy actions across three pillars” [4].

For other exchanges at the same briefing, see HYGO News’ pages on the Lower Energy Costs Act and community banks and the SVB fee, and for more of Jean-Pierre’s answers checked against the record, the Karine Jean-Pierre record page.