US Treasury secretary emerges as frontrunner for Trump’s AI czar role: Report
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is being considered to serve as President Donald Trump’s next artificial intelligence czar, three sources told Semafor. Other potential nominees include OSTP Director Michael Kratsios, OPM Director Scott Kupor, and National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross; the White House has not confirmed any appointment.
Why It Matters
The selection of an AI czar would shape how the administration coordinates policy and oversight as concerns about AI risks grow. Naming a senior official from Treasury would signal an emphasis on economic and financial dimensions of AI governance.
Key Facts
- Potential frontrunner: Scott Bessent, US Treasury Secretary
- Other reported candidates: Michael Kratsios; Scott Kupor; Sean Cairncross
- Source of report: Semafor, citing three unnamed sources
- Trump announcement: Sept. 19 Truth Social post announcing plans for an AI czar and an 'AI Force'
- Previous AI czar: David Sacks, who left earlier this year after reaching his special government employee service limit
President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to lead a new federal AI czar role, according to three people familiar with the deliberations who spoke to Semafor. The potential appointment comes after Trump announced on Sept. 19 that he planned to create an 'AI Force' and designate an AI czar, though he provided few details about the initiative.
Semafor's reporting lists other contenders for the position, including White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios; Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor, a former managing partner at Andreessen Horowitz; and National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross. The article attributes the identification of Bessent as a frontrunner to multiple unnamed sources.
The White House has not publicly confirmed any personnel moves. The Treasury directed Cointelegraph to a statement from White House spokesperson Kush Desai saying that reports about unannounced personnel decisions should be treated as speculation. Cointelegraph also noted it had updated its piece with a response from a Treasury spokesperson.
Trump previously appointed David Sacks as an AI and crypto czar, but Sacks stepped down from that special government employee role earlier this year after reaching the service limit; he continues to advise the president through the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. The reported search for a successor signals continued White House interest in centralizing oversight of AI policy amid growing public and policymaker concern about the technology's implications.
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