Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Donald Trump has said that the US would appoint a new AI tsar and create an “AI Force” while offering a full-throated defense of the emerging industry in the face of a growing popular backlash. The US president’s announcement comes as leading industry figures have sounded the alarm that humans could lose control over the rapidly advancing technology without a slowdown in development. However, rather than announcing regulation as some have demanded, Trump has dismissed safety concerns as a “hoax.” “I will be announcing, in the near future, the AI “Tsar” —Only High I.Q. individuals need apply!” Posted Trump on his social media platform Truth Social. “AI is the next Industrial Revolution, or Internet, but will be even larger and more impactful, possibly as much as 25% of our Country’s GDP. We are leading China, and the rest of the World, and I intend to keep it that way!” Trump said that the backlash to AI and the proliferation of data centers to power it was one of a series of “hoaxes” created by the Left, along with “Russiagate,” climate change, and “Transgender for Everyone.” “It all began with an attack on our Data Centers, until people realized how wealthy and prestigious they were for the Communities in which they were built,” Trump said in the Truth post. “We will not in any way hinder or stifle the Growth of this incredible Industry.
Rather, we will cherish it, help it, and watch over it, as it grows!” Public anxiety has grown over the dangers of AI after it was revealed that OpenAI agents escaped a test environment, coordinated on a secret message board, and hacked the start-up Hugging Face. In the latest incident, Google’s Gemini AI system accessed the Internet and autonomously hacked into several companies during cybersecurity tests. In an essay published last Saturday, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei said the tech industry “must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models,” after the speed of development became “drastically faster” this summer. His comments were swiftly endorsed by his rivals—OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk—marking a rare display of consensus in the fiercely competitive industry.
The issue has moved to the center of the midterm election campaign. Many Republicans who had previously embraced AI and data centers have reversed their positions as their constituents have turned against them. In July, Florida GOP gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds released an ad promising to “protect Florida families and communities from data centers.” In August, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a temporary data center moratorium, while Mike Rogers, a former House Republican running for Senate in Michigan, announced he would support a one-year ban. This week, the Republican-led US House overwhelmingly passed a bill to make data centers pay for increases in energy costs rather than US consumers.
A recent Associated Press poll found that 63 percent of US citizens are “extremely” or “very” concerned about the impact of data centers on electricity prices. The new AI tsar would replace David Sacks, who stepped down from the role in March. © 2026 The Financial Times Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be redistributed, copied, or modified in any way.
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