Trump announces plan to create “AI Force”
US President Donald Trump announced his administration’s plans to create an “AI Force” and appoint a new AI czar in his latest move to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence in the US. This comes amid a push from leaders at some of the biggest AI firms to slow down AI development and days after a former Anthropic safety researcher warned that 10% of humanity could be wiped out by artificial intelligence within the next decade.
In a Nutshell
- On Saturday, Trump made the announcement on Truth Social about his plans to create an “AI force” similar to the Space Force created for the US military.
- He stated that the mission was to protect and encourage further development in artificial intelligence technology which he has compared to the “next Industrial Revolution”.
- Last week, leaders of several AI companies called for a slowdown in development over concerns that an emphasis on rapid advances could compromise safe development.
- Similarly, a former Anthropic security researcher Evan Hubinger also sounded the alarm on the greater than 10% chance that AI could wipe out humanity in the next decade.
- Trump has addressed these concerns and dismissed them as a “hoax”. Meanwhile, David Sacks, chair of Trump’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, has publicly said that the fears over an AI takeover are disproportionate and a “panic”.
Context
David Sacks previously served as the administration’s AI czar before leaving the formal role earlier this year to become an external adviser. He now chairs Trump’s President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and has continued to oppose additional federal regulation of AI.
The announcement comes as the safety debate around increasingly capable AI has intensified. Anthropic alignment researcher Evan Hubinger has said he personally estimates a greater than 10% chance that AI could kill all humans within the next decade.
Former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon has also warned that companies are moving too quickly towards self improving AI systems. Trump called Hubinger’s warning a “hoax”, while Sacks said the concern was becoming “a panic”.
Why It Matters
The administration’s approach is closely tied to its view of AI as a strategic competition with China. Trump has argued that the US cannot slow development while China advances, warning that tighter regulation could surrender the American lead.
As the US aggressively expands the number of data centres in its race to catch up with China, communities have also pushed back over concerns around the technology’s drain on basic resources like electricity, water and local grids. In a landmark move aimed at limiting data centres’ power demand, the House recently voted 417 to 3 on legislation to reduce its impact on household electricity bills. Trump has continued to defend data centres, calling them “prestigious facilities” and stating that communities that reject them will end up “ being backwards and poor”.
What We Think
For now, Trump has given no details about this “AI Force” nor about when he will appoint the next AI czar. So, it remains unclear what the actual purpose of this force will be; what it does show is the administration’s refusal to back down amid calls from AI companies for a slowdown.