US President Donald Trump has announced plans to appoint a new artificial intelligence adviser — dubbed an "AI tsar" — and establish a dedicated "AI force", while making clear his administration has no intention of imposing heavy-handed regulation on the rapidly growing industry. Trump offered no details on how either initiative would be structured or implemented.
Trump's AI Pledge: Growth First, Oversight Second
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump outlined a light-touch philosophy toward AI governance. "We will not in any way hinder or stifle the Growth of this incredible Industry," he wrote. "Rather, we will cherish it, help it, and watch over it, as it grows! However, we will also be looking for BAD, and we can do that, very easily, with our already existing Criminal and Civil Justice System."
The statement signals that Trump intends to rely on existing legal frameworks rather than introduce new federal rules — a stance consistent with his broader scepticism of AI regulation, which he has repeatedly expressed since returning to the White House.
A Second AI Tsar in the Making
If Trump follows through, the appointment would mark the second time his administration has filled the AI tsar role. Venture capitalist David Sacks previously held the position before stepping down in the spring and transitioning to an external advisory role.
Sacks has consistently echoed Trump's resistance to new AI rules. Speaking at a Washington policy event this week, Sacks argued that AI developers themselves should bear responsibility for ensuring the safety of their products and could face liability if things go wrong — making new federal legislation unnecessary, in his view. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Trump's social media post.
Growing Fears on Capitol Hill
Trump's announcement comes amid increasing anxiety among lawmakers about the potential dangers AI poses to people and property. Earlier this month, a former researcher at AI company Anthropic warned that "people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade" — a stark assessment that has amplified calls for stronger oversight.
Trump, however, has consistently pushed back against such concerns, as have many prominent technology executives who argue that excessive regulation would slow American innovation. Critics of that position, including AI safety advocates, dispute the claim that a regulatory vacuum is the only alternative to stifled growth.
The US-China AI Race Looms Large
Trump's AI comments come just ahead of a scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, underscoring the geopolitical stakes surrounding artificial intelligence. Both Washington and Beijing regard AI as central to their economic and military futures, and the two nations are locked in an intensifying competition for global leadership in the field.
Adding to the diplomatic backdrop, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was set to meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York to discuss AI security, trade, and broader economic matters — a sign that AI is now firmly embedded in the highest levels of bilateral negotiations.
Trump and US tech leaders have long argued that regulatory burdens would hand an advantage to Chinese rivals. Whether the proposed AI tsar and AI force translate into concrete policy — and how they would interact with existing legal institutions — remains to be seen.
The rapid transformation AI is driving across industries makes the question of governance increasingly urgent, even as the administration signals it plans to keep Washington's hand light on the wheel.
