Trump plans AI Force as safety fears grow

Donald Trump said he will create an “AI Force” and name an AI “Czar” to monitor the technology, offering few operational details while comparing the initiative to Space Force. The move follows mounting warnings from industry figures and lawmakers about increasingly autonomous AI systems and their potential public safety risks.

Trump rejected calls to slow development, calling fears about AI a “hoax” and arguing that his administration “will not in any way hinder or stifle” the industry’s growth. He said criminal and civil justice systems could address “bad actors” and predicted AI could be “possibly as much as 25% of our Country’s GDP,” while emphasizing competition with China.

The plan arrives before Trump’s meeting with Xi Jinping during the UN general assembly in New York. It also follows Gavin Newsom’s plan for a California panel on AI safety rules, including a possible “kill switch,” and Republican calls from figures including Ron DeSantis, James Uthmeier and Spencer Cox for stronger controls.