Trump announces federal 'AI Force' and AI czar to lead US sector

President Donald Trump announced Saturday plans to create a federal "AI Force" and appoint a dedicated "AI czar" to oversee the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence sector, which he said could represent up to a quarter of U.S. GDP. In a Truth Social post, Trump dismissed criticism of AI and data centers as a political "imposture" orchestrated by adversaries to hinder American innovation, promising his administration would protect the industry while using existing civil and criminal mechanisms to punish abuses. He compared the proposed "AI Force" to the Space Force, a military branch created during his first term, and said he would name an "AI czar" in coming days, adding "Only people with high IQs should apply!" The announcements come amid heightened global competition over advanced technologies, infrastructure, and semiconductor supply chains. Trump emphasized maintaining U.S. dominance in AI over rivals like China as a major economic and strategic priority, calling AI "the next industrial revolution" potentially worth up to 25% of national GDP, while also defending energy-intensive data centers as sources of tax cuts, higher wages, and economic prestige for local communities.