The president, writing on Truth Social, repeated his assessment that fears over AI amount to a hoax and also seemed to acknowledge some of the risks the technology presents, saying, “we will also be looking for BAD, and we can do that, very easily, with our already existing Criminal and Civil Justice System.” “For this purpose, I am forming the AI Force, much like I did Space Force, which has been a tremendous SUCCESS, in my First Term. To that end, I will be announcing, in the near future, the AI ‘Czar’ — Only High I.Q. individuals need apply!” Trump said in the post. CNN has reached out to the White House for more details on the AI czar’s duties, whether the president has anyone in mind for the role, and whether the “AI Force” will be a branch of the military, like the Space Force. Trump’s creation of the Space Force in 2019 marked the first new U.S. military service since 1947. Trump’s announcement comes as the White House and Congress have faced pressure to enact AI safeguards in recent weeks. The president has downplayed concerns, claiming that a “SICK conspiracy” was afoot to undermine AI. “We will not in any way hinder or stifle the Growth of this incredible Industry,” Trump said in his post Saturday. “We are leading China, and the rest of the World, and I intend to keep it that way!” Trump has made clear that he considers outpacing China and preserving AI-driven economic gains a higher priority than addressing growing public concerns. The issue has quickly come to dominate political debate in the United States, after industry leaders called for a global slowdown in development. AI’s meteoric growth has led to major stock market gains and buoyed the manufacturing sector through the construction of data centers — which Trump calls “the golden goose.” Yet fears about the technology’s potential to eliminate jobs and AI data centers’ impact on communities have led to a souring in public sentiment. Democrats have been more vocal in their calls to slow AI development, with former President Barack Obama urging potential Democratic presidential candidates to put AI at the center of their agendas in 2028. “My view this week has been it is good that some of the leading companies have said we need to slow this down, and we should encourage that,” Obama said Friday during a fireside chat at Colgate University, according to excerpts of his speech obtained by CNN. “There have been some on the left who’ve said we shouldn’t allow them to make that decision. I agree that that can’t be a long-term solution. Government has to be regulating this.” Venture capitalist David Sacks served as Trump’s AI and cryptocurrency czar until March, when he stepped down after reaching his time limit as a special government employee. He now chairs the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. This story has been updated with additional developments.
