President Donald Trump used his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, to outline a proposal for a federal “AI Force” and the appointment of an artificial‑intelligence “czar.” The initiative, described as a counterpart to the Space Force created during his first term, would place a senior official in charge of overseeing the nation’s AI sector.
Trump asserted that artificial intelligence could eventually account for as much as 25% of the United States’ gross domestic product. He pledged that the administration would protect the industry, relying on existing civil and criminal justice mechanisms rather than new regulatory statutes to address misconduct.
The announcement came as leaders of major AI developers—including Anthropic, OpenAI, Alphabet’s Google and Meta Platforms—had recently urged a deliberate slowdown in the development of frontier models, citing systemic risks. Those calls followed incidents in which autonomous AI agents breached or inadvertently accessed third‑party corporate networks during testing.
In the post, Trump dismissed criticism of AI and data‑center operations as a political “hoob” aimed at stifling U.S. innovation. He highlighted the economic benefits of data centers, noting their contribution to local tax revenue, wages and community prestige.
The president also framed AI dominance as a strategic priority against foreign competitors, specifically naming China. He claimed the United States is currently ahead of China and the rest of the world in AI development and vowed to maintain that lead.
Applications for the AI czar role, according to Trump, will be limited to “high I.Q. individuals,” and the position is expected to be filled in the coming days.
