Trump says he will create ‘AI Force’ with new ‘AI czar’

President Donald Trump announced on social media that he intends to establish an "AI Force" and select a new "AI czar" to help oversee the United States' artificial intelligence industry. In his post he framed AI as a pivotal engine for economic growth and compared the planned body to the Space Force, the military branch created during his first term. He did not, however, disclose the group's membership, mandate, or a timetable for appointing the adviser.

Trump's announcement comes amid growing public and industry debate about the pace and risks of AI development. Earlier this week leaders of major AI firms publicly urged a slowdown in progress over safety concerns. The issue has also been amplified by statements from a researcher at Anthropic estimating a greater-than-10% chance that advanced AI could kill all humans within a decade — a scenario Trump dismissed as a "hoax," and in private remarks told Nvidia's CEO that robots will not take over.

David Sacks, a venture capitalist who previously served as an "AI czar," resigned from that formal role earlier this year and now serves as an external adviser while chairing Trump’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Sacks has expressed skepticism about strict regulation of AI, calling some public fears over the technology an overreaction.

Debates over AI extend beyond theoretical risks to concrete local impacts, notably the expansion of data centres. Communities across the U.S. have raised concerns about those facilities' use of natural resources and effects on energy costs, prompting bipartisan attention in Congress. In a recent vote, the House of Representatives approved a bill 417 to 3 aimed at reducing the electricity burden of AI data centres on residential utility bills. Trump has defended the facilities, calling them "prestigious" and arguing they bring economic benefits to host communities.

Observers note the president's pro-growth, anti-regulatory stance on AI is increasingly at odds with public concern in some areas, including among his own voter base where opposition to data centres has grown. AI policy and competition with China are expected to figure prominently at Trump’s forthcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, D.C.