Trump vows to create ‘AI Force’ and appoint czar amid calls to regulate technology’s development

By Logan Schiciano, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump said Saturday he plans to create an “AI Force” and name an AI czar as the government faces growing calls to impose guardrails on the rapid development of artificial intelligence.

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 US military service since 1947.

Trump’s announcement comes as the White House and Congress have faced pressure in recent weeks to enact AI safeguards. 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.

Meanwhile, conversations surrounding AI regulation are expected to play a key part in multiple diplomatic gatherings next week.

The Trump administration will convene a high-level event on AI on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, multiple sources familiar with the matter previously told CNN.

A day later, several technology executives — including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Google’s Sundar Pichai — will attend a state dinner at the White House as part of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington, according to a White House official.

CNN previously reported that Trump officials were contemplating a meeting with major technology and AI chiefs on the sidelines of the high-stakes summit, though nothing has been finalized.

A White House official also said that AI safety would be “on the agenda” when Trump meets with Xi.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere contributed to this report.