Trump Goes All In on AI as Washington Battles Over Safety, China and Big Tech

President Trump and his fellow Republicans are expected to have a big week on artificial intelligence, with a White House summit, a new czar, congressional action, and the creation of a new “AI Force,” all while Google launches an AI data center into orbit. Mr. Trump has so far pushed back on the idea of regulating the industry despite concerns from industry executives and voters alike that the tech is moving too fast. Earlier this month, a lengthy essay from Anthropic’s chief executive, Dario Amodei, set off alarms not only in the industry, but in the halls of Congress. He wrote that Anthropic would begin self-policing, but argued that the federal government and foreign governments must begin working on comprehensive legislation and regulations to keep humanity safe. Mr. Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson took the libertarian approach, believing that no such action would be necessary. Now, Mr. Trump is planning to take a more assertive role in ensuring that the industry outpaces its Chinese counterparts, despite some in Congress wanting to put safety first. Messrs. Trump and Johnson will meet this week with top executives from the AI industry, a meeting which comes shortly after Mr. Trump and the same executives spent time with President Xi during the course of an official state visit last week. OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, and xAI’s Elon Musk were among those executives who attended a state dinner in Mr. Xi’s honor at the White House on Thursday. Earlier this month, Mr. Trump announced he would soon be appointing a new AI czar to join his administration after the departure of venture capitalist David Sacks, who previously served as Mr. Trump’s chief advisor on AI and cryptocurrency. Mr. Sacks continues to serve as the co-head of the president’s council of advisors on science and technology. “I will be announcing, in the near future, the AI ‘Czar’ — Only High I.Q. individuals need apply! 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,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We are leading China, and the rest of the World, and I intend to keep it that way!” In a separate post, Mr. Trump confirmed that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was out of the running to serve as that chief advisor on AI. “Number One, he doesn’t want to. Number Two, he’s doing such a great job at Treasury, and that’s where I want to keep him!” Mr. Trump wrote. In that same post, Mr. Trump announced he would be establishing a new “AI Force” akin to a branch of the military. “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!” Mr. Trump wrote. “However, we will also be looking for BAD, and we can do that, very easily, with our already existing Criminal and Civil Justice System.”The decision to launch the new AI Force comes as the technology is rapidly evolving. Just last week, OpenAI announced that some of its models had interacted with publicly available government databases, including at the SEC and the Census Bureau, without the company’s knowledge. This coming week, Google launches “Project Suncatcher” a first-of-its kind data center headed for orbit, where the company says it will harness the sun for the power-hungry tech.On the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, Republicans are leaning into anti-AI sentiments across the country — including against data centers — in the lead-up to the midterm elections. According to a new poll from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, only 11 percent of Americans would support data center construction in their community. Addressing the AI issue is especially important for Republicans looking to boost their more populist bona fides, given only 23 percent of Americans believe Mr. Trump has handled the AI issue well. Senator Jon Husted, an Ohio Republican at risk of losing his seat in November, is pushing his colleagues to pass the Ratepayer Protection Act, a bill that would direct utility companies to recoup costs of increased energy bills from larger users, including data centers. The bill passed the House earlier this month with more than 200 Democratic votes, though Senate Democrats have been blocking the legislation. Mr. Husted and his supporters say Democrats are only doing so to keep a feather out of Mr. Husted’s cap as he heads into the final month of his campaign. “In plain language, if you create the cost, you should pay the cost,” Mr. Husted said of his bill during a Senate floor speech. Elsewhere, Senator Josh Hawley on Wednesday will host a hearing on the risks of AI, and the possibility for action by Congress. Mr. Hawley, who chairs a subcommittee on disaster management, recently held another hearing on Flock cameras, which use AI to catalogue information about drivers, their cars, and license plates. Mr. Hawley’s hearing, “Rogue AI: Securing the Homeland Against AI Agent Attacks,” will feature testimony from from Daniel Kokotajlo, a former OpenAI employee who broke a nondisparagement clause in order to publicly raise concerns about the company, Marius Hobbhahn, founder of the AI safety company Apollo research, and Paul Ohm, a Georgetown University law professor who is an expert in the legal landscape around AI.

Trump Goes All In on AI as Washington Battles Over Safety, China and Big Tech

Trump Goes All In on AI as Washington Battles Over Safety, China and Big Tech

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