US President Donald Trump has announced plans to establish an “AI Force” and appoint a new artificial intelligence czar, as his administration seeks to accelerate the development of AI while limiting new federal regulation of the technology. Trump announced the initiative on Saturday in a post on Truth Social. He compared the proposed AI Force with the US Space Force, which was established as a separate branch of the US military during his first term. However, the White House has not yet provided details about how the AI Force will be organized, what powers it will have or whether it will be a civilian or military organization.
Trump said the US government should support the continued expansion of the AI industry rather than slow its development. “We will not in any way hinder or stifle the Growth of this incredible Industry,” he wrote. According to Trump, harmful applications of AI could largely be addressed through the existing criminal and civil justice system.
The president also said that he would soon appoint an AI czar to oversee the administration’s approach to the technology. No candidate has yet been announced. Trump previously had venture capitalist David Sacks serving as the White House AI and crypto adviser.
Details remain unclear
Despite the comparison with Space Force, it is not yet clear what Trump means by an AI “Force.” No budget, staffing level, organizational structure or timetable has been announced. The White House has also not clarified whether a new federal organization would be created or whether the initiative would coordinate AI activities already spread across government departments and agencies.
The announcement nevertheless fits into a broader AI policy that the Trump administration has been developing over the past year. Its approach has focused on accelerating AI innovation and infrastructure while relying on targeted measures for cybersecurity, national security and criminal applications rather than broad licensing requirements for AI developers.
In June, Trump signed an executive order on advanced AI innovation and security. Among other measures, it instructed federal agencies to develop classified benchmarks for assessing the cyber capabilities of frontier AI models and established a voluntary framework through which developers can give trusted government partners early access to certain models for cybersecurity purposes. The order explicitly states that it does not create mandatory licensing, pre-clearance or permitting requirements for developing or releasing AI models.
The administration has also moved to expand the use of AI in national security. A National Security Presidential Memorandum issued in June directed government agencies to accelerate the adoption of advanced commercial and open-source AI systems for military and intelligence applications. It also called for an AI National Security Strategic Reserve of experts from outside government.
Competition with China
Competition with China is an important part of the administration’s AI strategy. Washington and Beijing increasingly view advanced AI capabilities as strategically important for both economic and military purposes, while remaining divided over access to advanced semiconductors, technology transfers and regulation. US officials have said AI will also feature in discussions with China.
Trump has argued that additional regulation could weaken the US position in this competition. His latest announcement comes at the same time that politicians, technology executives and researchers are debating whether increasingly capable AI systems require additional safeguards.
For now, the practical implications of the AI Force remain uncertain. Trump has announced the organization and an incoming AI czar, but the administration has yet to explain what the force will do, who will participate in it and how it will relate to existing federal agencies responsible for AI, cybersecurity, defense and technology policy.
