Trump plans US AI Force and artificial intelligence tsar

Donald Trump stated in a social media post on Saturday that his administration would not obstruct or stifle the rapid expansion of the artificial intelligence industry, pushing back against growing demands to slow down development until stricter safeguards are established. Trump announced plans to create a dedicated AI Force and appoint an artificial intelligence tsar to oversee the sector.

However, Trump did not provide any specific details or a timeline for the implementation of his proposal. The announcement arrives amid a wave of warnings regarding potential technological hazards, which have fueled calls for coordinated international action. Artificial intelligence has become a focal point in the geopolitical rivalry between the US and China as the world's leading economies vie for technological supremacy, with the topic expected to be addressed when Trump meets President Xi Jinping next week.

Addressing potential misconduct, Trump stated that his administration would leverage existing criminal and civil legal systems to target malicious actors misusing AI. He also reiterated his stance that warnings surrounding the dangers of artificial intelligence constitute a hoax. These remarks follow recent alarms raised by current and former researchers, with one estimate suggesting a greater than 10% probability that advanced AI could eradicate humanity.

Major artificial intelligence firms have been fiercely competing to advance their systems, aiming to develop superintelligence—a theoretical technology surpassing human cognitive capabilities. Industry giants Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google—creators of Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini respectively—have previously disclosed security breaches and incidents where their chatbots were exploited for malicious purposes. Dario Amodei, head of Anthropic, recently advocated for slowed development alongside industry-wide oversight, while Sam Altman of OpenAI and Elon Musk of xAI voiced agreement with those recommendations.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Jack Clark, co-founder of Anthropic, told the BBC that a mandatory kill switch verifiable by a third party might become necessary for the industry. These ongoing warnings have prompted US lawmakers to draft related legislation, though Sam Altman noted this week that Washington has struggled to keep pace with the rapid evolution of the technology and its regulatory requirements.