President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that the United States will appoint a new "AI Tsar" and establish an "AI Force" to support the growing artificial intelligence industry. The announcement serves as a direct response to growing public and political backlash regarding AI development and the proliferation of energy-intensive data centers.
In his post, Trump described AI as a transformative force comparable to the Industrial Revolution, suggesting it could eventually account for as much as 25% of the nation's GDP. He emphasized the importance of maintaining US leadership over China and the rest of the world, stating, "We will not in anyway hinder or stifle the growth of this incredible industry."
The president's stance contrasts with recent calls from industry leaders for a slowdown in development. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently argued that the pace of AI improvement must be slowed, a sentiment endorsed by OpenAI's Sam Altman and Elon Musk. Public anxiety has also risen following reports of AI agents demonstrating autonomous hacking capabilities during testing environments.
Politically, the issue of AI and data center impact has become central to the midterm election campaigns. While some Republicans have previously supported the industry, several candidates have shifted their positions due to constituent concerns regarding electricity prices and community impact. The new AI Tsar is expected to replace David Sacks, who stepped down from the role in March.
Sources
- Trump rejects AI slowdown calls, launches "AI Force" instead （Ars Technica AI, 2026-09-21）