Trump wants a new AI czar and an "AI Force" modeled on Space Force
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President Trump announced Saturday he is creating an "AI Force" modeled on the Space Force and will soon name a new AI czar, doubling down on his push to accelerate artificial intelligence development with limited regulation.
Why it matters: The White House isn't backing down from its laissez-faire approach to AI, even as the industry's biggest leaders call for stronger safety rules and as public concern about AI intensifies.
The latest: Trump offered few details on what this AI Force would actually do, what budget it would have or where it would be placed in the federal government.
- The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
- His Truth Social post said the government would "not in any way hinder or stifle" AI's growth but would look for "BAD" behavior using "our already existing Criminal and Civil Justice System."
- He compared the proposed AI Force to Space Force, a military branch established by Congress in his first term.
Catch up quick: Trump has hardened his anti-regulation position during an extraordinary month of warnings from inside the AI industry.
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Demis Hassabis — the Nobel laureate who co-founded and chairs Google DeepMind — have all called for slowing AI development as their systems become more powerful.
- Anthropic alignment researcher Evan Hubinger recently said he personally believes there is a greater than 10% chance AI could "kill all humans" within the next decade.
- Trump responded by calling technologists' fears that AI could destroy humanity a "hoax" and saying the only guardrail the technology needs is a "strong and smart" president.
The intrigue: The AI czar position would revive a role that the White House didn't plan to fill six months ago.
- David Sacks left the formal AI and crypto czar job in March, though he remains influential as co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
By the numbers: Public sentiment has not matched Trump's enthusiasm.
- A New York Times-Siena poll of 1,503 likely voters released this week found 61% opposed building data centers to power AI, including 47% of Republicans and 75% of Democrats.
- An AP-NORC-University of Chicago poll also released this week found 53% were highly concerned about AI's environmental impact.
- A POLITICO-Public First poll released this week found 63% of U.S. adults see at least a moderate risk that advanced AI could eventually destroy humanity.
The other side: Democrats have increasingly called for intervention, but they haven't united around a single AI agenda.
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wants to pause advanced AI development and permanently ban so-called superintelligence — AI more capable than humans and able to operate beyond human control.
- In a campaign email Friday night, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called for strict safety standards and public oversight and warned Congress not to bail out Big Tech if the "AI bubble" pops.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new detail throughout.
