Trump's call for "AI Force" sets off weekend scramble
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President Trump's announcement this weekend that he's forming an "AI Force," modeled on the Space Force he launched in his first term, caught advisers by surprise, sources said.
- Officials and executives inside and outside the administration are now jockeying to be Trump's AI czar, which he said he'll name soon.
- The czar will likely be a seasoned surrogate with Silicon Valley ties who can spearhead an AI rebranding effort, the sources said.
Why it matters: The president is seeking to shift the debate over AI safety to economic grounds, emphasizing the benefits of a multitrillion-dollar infrastructure buildout. He's trying to recast advocates of a slowdown as "doomers."
Zoom in: Potential investing conflicts may lead Trump to turn to insiders, perhaps with other roles in the administration. Among the names to watch:
- Scott Kupor, director of the Office of Personnel Management. Kupor has a degree in public policy and was Andreessen Horowitz's first employee.
- Sriram Krishnan, former senior White House AI policy adviser. Krishnan also worked at a16z and carried the torch for Sacks inside the White House after he left.
- Chamath Palihapitiya, Social Capital founder, CEO of 8090 and co-host of the All-In Podcast with Sacks and others. Palihapitiya has ties to tech venture capital and was a Facebook senior leader.
- Sean Cairncross, White House national cyber director. Cairncross played a role in the administration's handling of the release of Anthropic's Mythos.
- Emil Michael, Pentagon CTO and under secretary for research and engineering. Michael, a former Uber executive, was the face of a high-profile fight earlier this year with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, a target of the administration to this day. If AI Force is housed in the Pentagon, Michael would be an easy fit.
Zoom out: The president said in his post that "Radical Left Democrats" are "going straight at AI." He said he plans to create AI Force to "cherish" the technology, but also tackle harms through the existing criminal justice system. He didn't elaborate.
- That set off a mad dash to imagine what AI Force would look like. Far fewer federal personnel focus solely on AI, compared with those in space-related roles who could be assigned to Space Force.
- Trump called on "High I.Q." individuals to apply for a new AI czar position, and some from inside and outside the administration began answering the call.
Between the lines: An issue for many candidates, especially those with industry ties, would be holdings in private companies.
- Special government employees are prohibited by law from participating "personally and substantially" in government matters where they have a financial interest, according to the Office of Government Ethics.
Former AI czar David Sacks, who served as a special government employee in the White House until March, took steps to divest holdings in some companies last year due to his role in the administration.
- People close to Sacks said he likely won't take up the mantle again. He has continued to wield influence over AI policy as an adviser — continuing to talk to Trump and advocate for a light regulatory touch.
- Requirements for divesting holdings could rule out anyone from Anthropic or OpenAI: Both companies are preparing to IPO in what could be among the largest public listings of all time, with Anthropic planning to have shares trading as soon as November, The New York Times reports. OpenAI has signaled plans to wait until next year.
