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Lawmakers Under Pressure to Regulate AI Amid Safety Concerns; Voters on Trump and Russia-Ukraine War; Senate Confirmation Hearing for Trump's HHS Nominees. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired September 16, 2026 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[09:30:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we've got some live pictures right now. This is a group of Democratic lawmakers saying that the House -- House Speaker Mike Johnson specifically -- should cancel a planned recess. Congress is leaving after this week.

These lawmakers want them to cancel the recess. Stick around and work on the issues surrounding artificial intelligence. Both lawmakers and industry leaders have been sounding the alarm about the rapid growth of AI and the potential risks it could cause humanity. That it's spreading and growing and advancing beyond human control. There's been a call for a slowdown in AI development. Now, one person who does not think there should be a slowdown is President Trump.

He calls it a hoax. OpenAI CEO says he is confident the industry can develop technology safely without people significant -- well, I should say without significantly harming people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAM ALTMAN, CEO, OPENAI: I am very confident in our company's ability, our industry's ability to do this safely, to make sure that we keep alignment and safety and monitoring way ahead of capabilities to slow down or stop if we get to a point where we can't. But I'm disappointed by how it's been framed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: With us now is Ankit Jain, the CEO of Infinitus Systems, a healthcare artificial intelligence company. Thanks so much for being with us. You seem to be on the side of this isn't about stopping AI, but about installing brakes, right?

[09:35:00]

My question is who gets to install the brakes?

ANKIT JAIN, CEO, INFINITUS SYSTEMS: Well, in regulated industries, John, companies already face regulators. They already face audits. They already have certifications, liabilities, scrutiny.

And the question in front of us today is whether the existing enforcement, existing penalties are strong enough and strong enough incentives to let companies do what they've always done. Make sure their products are safe before getting them out to market.

BERMAN: Right, but the question is, are the regulations strong enough? Does the government need to step in here with firmer regulations like the FCC does on communications, like the FDA does on drugs, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera?

JAIN: Well, my viewpoint is we're very early in the journey of developing AI and testing. It's too early for regulations to come in. It's important for the industry to continue to move forward as fast as possible, especially given that the AI race is so important to American dominance around the world. It's important for us to make sure that the labs continue to grow their product, continue to grow their models, test them safely. And if they feel like their models have any safety concerns, to slow back the deployment of their models, not something done at a industry-wide or government-powered scale.

BERMAN: So too early for the government to step in. What would you say to then people who look at what happened with Hugging Face and the breakout there, you know, with these models basically going rogue? Too early if that's happening?

JAIN: Well, I think the point is exactly that. The point is that companies that find in their testing, in these kinds of bounded box environments, that their technology is not safe, they should pull back the deployments of that technology. But the companies that are able to put the right bounding boxes, like many in the regulated industries, those like us in healthcare and financial services, we test our technology.

We make sure that the outcomes that are driven are safely delivered. Those technologies should be allowed to continue being deployed.

BERMAN: Well, there may be more safeguards in the healthcare industry where you are, and other financial services where other people are. But broadly speaking, in AI, there may not be those safeguards. And I think, again, playing devil's advocate here, one question people have is, why should we trust Sam Altman to do this himself?

Why should we trust these tech companies without elected officials doing their elected oversight roles?

JAIN: I think that's a very fair question, John. I think the important thing right now is to figure out what are the kinds of guardrails that are needed? What are the kinds of security checks that are needed?

This technology is improving so quickly. It is changing so quickly that any regulation we put in today might not be the right one six months from now. What's important is to make sure that we define the kinds of outcomes we want to drive.

In healthcare, for example, before a drug that is discovered can go to market, you have multiple levels of clinical trials. Many of those run by the private sector. The results are then sent in for -- the outcomes are sent in for check boxing. I think we need to develop those kinds of understandings in the AI industry before we put regulations in place.

BERMAN: Your argument seems to be a recipe for doing not much right now. What would be one regulation you would be in favor of the government putting in place tomorrow?

JAIN: Well, I think the regulation that I would be supportive of in today's day and age would be making sure that the right controls are there. The fact that humans can step in and take control of the situation if there is an escalation that happens. We always need to make sure that technology can defer to humans when there is a doubt of what's happening.

BERMAN: Ankit Jain, appreciate the back and forth here. A great discussion. These are the types of discussions that people need to be having out in the open here because things are moving very quickly -- Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: The president's third attempt to get a surgeon general actually through Senate confirmation in the spotlight today. What the doctor turned social media influencer could mean for America's public health.

Plus, Florida police tracked down a suspect in an alligator-infested swamp to find he was carrying two young babies with him.

[09:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Diesel prices, diesel prices hit a brand new record high this week. Well over $6. And President Trump, who is he blaming?

He's blaming Ukraine. He says he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia. With us now, CNN Chief Data Analyst, Harry Enten.

And the reason you're here on this claim is because it's interesting, right? The president going after Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine again here. You know, how is the president doing in the polls on Ukraine?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: You know, I seem to recall like two years ago, the president, the now president of the United States said that, you know, he could solve the Russia-Ukraine war in like 24 hours if given the chance. You know, I don't know. Looking at my fake watch here, I think the war is still going on here.

And the American people have had it up to here. Had it up to here with the President of the United States and his claims on this.

[09:45:00]

Take a look here. Voters on Trump in the Russia-Ukraine war. You know, back during the 2024 election cycle, Trump was trusted more than Kamala Harris by two points on the Russia-Ukraine war. Look at where we are now. Trump's net operating. Down we go. His net

approval rating is now down to minus 33 points. My little nugget here.

It's down to minus 53 points among independents. The American people have turned against the President of the United States on the Russia- Ukraine war simply because promises were made and promises were not kept. What is this, Johnny B?

This is a 35-point move against the President of the United States on the Russia-Ukraine war. The comments this week are coming from a political place where simply put, President Trump has no standing with the American public.

BERMAN: 53 points among independents there, Harry. You know how we love your nuggets. Let's talk about the president versus Volodymyr Zelenskyy. How do voters feel when they compare the two?

ENTEN: Yes, my nuggets are better than any fast food restaurant. You know, the other thing I will note here is just, you know, he's going after Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

You know, we've done this before. We've done this before. Who do the American people prefer?

Look, President Trump's net favorable rating in a poll earlier this year was minus 18 points. You may ask, so they polled Zelenskyy as well. Look at that.

Zelenskyy was at plus 13 points. Zelenskyy beats Trump in his own country by a margin of 31 points. That makes President Trump not popular in the states at all.

Zelenskyy is actually quite popular for a politician.

BERMAN: What about the issue of foreign policy in general?

ENTEN: Yes, OK. I think Russia-Ukraine is part of a larger picture when it comes to foreign policy, and that is simply put that President Trump has lost so much ground on foreign policy. And this is a one-to- one comparison, right?

At the beginning of Trump's second term, he was above water at plus two points. Look at where he is now. He's 31 points underwater, deep in the deep blue sea. That's what we're talking about here.

Or should I say deep in the deep red sea. 31 points underwater here. Again, another movement of 33 points against the President of the United States.

He's minus 41 points among independents. Simply put, an issue that got Trump re-elected to the White House back in 2024 is now an issue that Democrats can use against President Trump in these midterm elections against the Republican Party at large.

BERMAN: You're talking about foreign policy and Democrats can make it be about prices and affordability and gas prices. What are the prediction markets saying about where gas prices might go?

ENTEN: You know, we started off this segment talking about diesel. What about the chance that just gas prices in general will rise above $4.80 a gallon? You know, a month ago, what were we talking about?

It was a 31 percent chance. Now, according to the calcium prediction markets, a 61 percent chance. And that, of course, would be very much a higher this year.

It was back at $4.56. So far, it was a high.

BERMAN: This gets to sentiment, how people feel about it. Interesting that it's gone up so much in just a month.

ENTEN: You got it.

BERMAN: Harry Enten, thank you very much.

ENTEN: Thank you, my friend.

BERMAN: A lot of news this morning. We'll be right back.

[09:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: All right, showing live pictures inside a Senate hearing room where, at some point, action is going to take place, probably getting underway very soon. Moments from now, more than one of President Trump's picks for critical public health roles are going to begin testifying before lawmakers.

Chris Klomp is looking to become Deputy HHS Secretary, putting him second in command under Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. Also facing senators today, Dr. Nicole Saphier. She's President Trump's third nominee to be Surgeon General.

CNN's Meg Tirrell is here. Let's start with Saphier. Does it look like she is going to fare better than the others before her?

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: We're going to have to see because, of course, she's going up in front of the Senate Health Committee, which is chaired by Bill Cassidy. The number of times we've had this conversation about whether Bill Cassidy is going to support --

BOLDUAN: At least three.

TIRRELL: -- President Trump's health nominees. Exactly. So he has so far supported President Trump's health nominees despite expressing reservations about vaccine commentary they've made. Now, Dr. Saphier actually is a more sort of mainstream candidate when it comes to her opinions about medicine and vaccination than previous folks who've been nominated for this role. Dr. Casey Means, of course, her nomination was withdrawn in April over concerns the Senate wouldn't confirm her because of commentary she made about vaccination. Now, Dr. Saphier is a former Fox News medical contributor. She's a

radiologist with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and she has hosted a podcast, so we have heard her views in the past. Also, in appearances she's made on Fox and on a podcast, she expressed some of her concerns about declining vaccination rates.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. NICOLE SAPHIER: We're already seeing it play out with measles. We're already seeing it with whooping cough. We have a rise in cases throughout the country, and that's because of declining vaccination rates.

I think that there is a legitimate conversation to be had about the current childhood vaccine recommendation schedule, specifically birth doses of hepatitis B and also some of the other recommendations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TIRRELL: So you can hear there that she is concerned that measles vaccination rates have been declining, but she is open to talking about other parts of the childhood vaccination.

BOLDUAN: All right, America's public health in the spotlight and before the Senate yet again today. Let's see what happens. It's great to see you. Thank you so much, Meg.

TIRRELL: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Sara.

SIDNER: All right, thank you so much, Kate.

New this morning, a 27-year-old Florida man accused of carrying two children through a gator-filled swamp while trying to evade police. Police say the man was drunk and crashed his car into a road sign. They say he then grabbed the two children from the car, a two-year-old and a 10-month-old and ran into the swamp to escape the officers.

Police used a drone to track him down. The suspect was arrested. The two children were taken to the hospital for treatment.

[09:55:00]

All right, a horrifying moment captured on an Iranian airplane. Panic setting in for passengers as a plane violently shook. Look at it there across the sky. Extreme turbulence causing the ceiling of the cabin -- you hear the yelling there -- it collapses.

Officials say it was a detached tire tread that prompted an engine technical alert after takeoff and caused huge reverberations there and vibrations. Remarkably, the plane returned safely to the airport with no injuries reported. And this just in. A long running popular music competition show

American Idol leaving Hollywood. The show's production company confirms it's relocating to Georgia ahead of season 25. The show has been based in L.A. for more than two decades. A new season set to premiere next year.

There's a lot of people leaving L.A. One of the things that everyone is concerned about.

BOLDUAN: Isn't one of the famous lines like, you're going to Hollywood?

SIDNER: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Isn't that one of the famous lines from the show now?

SIDNER: They'll be like, you're going to --

BOLDUAN: You're going to Hotlanta.

SIDNER: Yes.

BOLDUAN: OK, here you are.

BERMAN: Thank you for joining us. This has been CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "THE SITUATION ROOM" is up next.

BOLDUAN: Hotlanta.

BERMAN: Here goes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)