WASHINGTON, September 20: U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to appoint a new artificial intelligence adviser, or “AI czar,” and create what he calls an “AI Force”, as his administration seeks to strengthen America’s position in the global AI race. Trump has not yet identified who will lead the initiative or explained how the proposed AI Force will be structured.
Trump Announces New ‘AI Force’
Trump unveiled the proposal in a social-media post on September 19, saying his administration would create an “AI Force” and announce an AI czar in the near future.
He compared the idea to the U.S. Space Force, which was created during his first term, although the White House has not clarified whether the AI Force would be a civilian body, an interagency initiative or have any connection to the military.
No budget, launch date, staffing structure or specific legal authority for the proposed organisation has yet been announced.
New AI Czar Yet to Be Named
Trump said a new AI czar would be announced later but did not identify potential candidates.
The appointment would follow an earlier White House AI advisory role held by venture capitalist David Sacks, who later shifted to an outside advisory position. Sacks has argued against imposing broad new federal regulations on AI companies and has said developers should remain responsible for the safety of their products.
The precise responsibilities of the next AI adviser have not yet been disclosed.
Trump Opposes Slowing US AI Development
Trump paired the announcement with a broader argument that the United States should avoid policies that could significantly slow artificial intelligence development.
He said his administration would support the growth of the AI industry while using the existing criminal and civil justice systems to deal with wrongdoing rather than creating extensive new restrictions.
The position contrasts with calls from some researchers, lawmakers and technology executives for stronger safeguards as increasingly capable AI systems are developed.
AI Safety Debate Intensifies in Washington
The announcement comes amid heightened debate in the United States over the potential risks associated with advanced artificial intelligence.
Concerns intensified this month after former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon publicly warned about potential existential dangers from highly advanced AI. Other researchers and technology leaders have also called for additional safeguards or slower development of frontier systems.
Trump and some of his advisers have taken a different approach, arguing that excessive restrictions could weaken American companies while competitors abroad continue developing increasingly powerful systems.
US Already Expanding AI Use in National Security
The AI Force proposal follows several earlier steps by the Trump administration to expand artificial intelligence across the federal government.
In June, Trump signed a national-security memorandum directing U.S. defence and intelligence agencies to accelerate adoption of advanced AI systems while requiring deployed systems to remain controllable and subject to established chains of accountability.
A separate executive order also directed agencies to expand the use of AI-powered cybersecurity tools for federal systems, critical infrastructure and other national-security applications.
US-China AI Competition in Focus
The announcement also comes as artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly important issue in relations between the United States and China.
Washington and Beijing are competing over advanced AI models, semiconductor technology, computing infrastructure and access to high-end chips. AI-related security issues are expected to feature in high-level discussions involving officials from both countries.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, with artificial intelligence security, trade and economic issues among the subjects expected to be discussed.
Trump and Xi Meeting Adds to AI Spotlight
The AI announcement comes shortly before an expected meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Reuters has reported that competition over AI technology is likely to form part of the broader backdrop to the talks, alongside disputes over semiconductor exports, technology access and trade.
The U.S. has imposed restrictions on exports of some advanced chips to China, while Beijing has pursued its own strategy to accelerate domestic AI development and reduce reliance on foreign technology.
Details of ‘AI Force’ Still Unclear
For now, the announcement establishes Trump’s intention to create the initiative but leaves major questions unanswered.
The administration has not specified:
- Which government department would oversee the AI Force
- Whether it would be civilian or military
- What authority the AI czar would hold
- How many people would serve in the organisation
- When the initiative would formally begin
The White House had not provided additional implementation details at the time of the initial announcement.
The next major development will be the appointment of the new AI czar and clarification of how the AI Force fits into the administration’s broader technology and national-security strategy.
source – Reuters / White House / Washington Post
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