Trump Announces 'AI Force' and Czar Amid Tech Safety Debate

President Donald Trump announced plans to establish an "AI Force" and appoint an AI czar, positioning the moves as alternatives to new regulatory frameworks even as prominent technology leaders call for slower development of artificial intelligence systems.

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump characterized concerns about AI alignment—the challenge of ensuring AI systems behave as intended—as a "hoax" and pledged the U.S. would "not in any way hinder or stifle the Growth of this incredible Industry." The president said the country would instead "cherish it, help it, and watch over it, as it grows."

Why it matters

The announcement signals a fundamental policy divergence between the White House and leading AI companies at a critical moment in the technology's development. While CEOs from Anthropic and OpenAI have publicly advocated for development guardrails, the administration is proposing oversight structures that explicitly reject additional regulation—a stance that could shape how the U.S. approaches AI governance as capabilities rapidly advance.

Details of the Proposed AI Force

Trump likened the proposed AI Force to Space Force, which he established during his first term. However, the specific mandate and structure of an AI Force remain undefined. Space Force required congressional authorization and operates as a sixth branch of the U.S. Armed Forces under the Department of Defense. Any new armed forces branch would similarly require legislative action.

The president said he would name an AI czar "in the near future" but provided no timeline or candidate details. The White House did not respond to requests for additional information.

Existing Laws Over New Regulations

Trump maintained that current legal frameworks provide sufficient tools to address potential harms from AI systems. "We will also be looking for BAD, and we can do that, very easily, with our already existing Criminal and Civil Justice System," he wrote.

This position aligns with statements from David Sacks, co-chair of Trump's science and technology council, who told a Politico conference on Wednesday that "the starting point for talking about AI regulation is to realize the regulations that we already have." Sacks, who previously served as the White House's AI and crypto czar before stepping down in March, emphasized that "we have a highly regulated administrative state" with existing laws applicable to AI.

Industry Leaders Sound Alarms

The announcement follows recent warnings from top AI executives. Last week, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published a blog post advocating for slower AI development. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman subsequently said his company would welcome a reduced pace to prevent capabilities from getting "ahead of alignment and monitoring."

Trump previously dismissed these concerns, calling the warnings a "HOAX" and alleging a "SICK conspiracy" around AI. Some lawmakers have also called for stronger guardrails on AI development.

These details were first reported by ABC News.