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Trump says he will create an AI task force and appoint a czar
The president said his administration will set up a dedicated structure to oversee artificial intelligence without slowing the industry. The White House did not immediately identify the appointee or provide further details.
Donald Trump said Saturday that he will create an artificial intelligence task force and appoint a czar to lead the effort, as fresh warnings mount over the speed and risks of the technology’s development.
According to NBC News Politics, Trump announced the move in a social media post, where he said he does not want to hinder the industry’s expansion and argued that his administration should support and monitor it. He also said harmful uses of AI could be addressed through the existing criminal and civil justice system.
Trump did not name anyone for the new role in that post. The White House also did not immediately provide additional details on the initiative, NBC News Politics reported.
The announcement came after AI researchers warned that the technology could slip beyond human control and called for regulation. Over the past two weeks, however, Trump has brushed aside those concerns, calling them a hoax and repeatedly saying the priority should be for the United States to lead AI development ahead of China, according to NBC News Politics.
As part of that public defense of the industry, Trump even called Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang while Huang was onstage at an industry summit, NBC News Politics said.
The issue has also returned to Congress, where bipartisan legislative efforts in recent years have failed to gain traction. This week, during a closed-door briefing, Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton, one of the field’s most influential figures, warned lawmakers that time was running out to regulate the industry and said Congress may have about a year to act, according to the outlet.
Trump previously had an AI and cryptocurrency czar, David Sacks, who left earlier this year because of term limits tied to special government employee status. Since then, he has taken an advisory role in the administration and is expected to attend Trump’s state dinner with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, NBC News Politics reported.
At the same time, Democrats widely viewed as possible 2028 presidential contenders have moved on AI policy at the state level. NBC News Politics reported that California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Friday aimed at increasing oversight of the industry and asked a task force to consider requiring a kill switch. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has called for federal regulation, and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger launched an AI task force and a data center accountability plan.
According to NBC News Politics, former President Barack Obama also told Democrats at a fundraiser last week to make the issue a priority and said it would be a central theme if he were running in 2028.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
