Trump names AI czar to head White House task force

US President Donald Trump has chosen members to lead a new AI task force to coordinate the administration's response to the rapidly evolving technology.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a White House task force to coordinate the administration's response to artificial intelligence (AI).

The group will be led by director of national intelligence Jay Clayton, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission Andrew Ferguson, Pentagon chief technology officer Emil Michael and director of the Office of Personnel Management Scott Kupor.

The task force, named the "Super Intelligence Force" or SI, in accordance with the term that the president prefers over AI.

"The Super Intelligence Force will coordinate the federal government’s engagement with consumers, public interest groups, religious organizations, critical infrastructure providers, and super intelligence companies," Trump said in Truth Social post on Sunday.

Trump under pressure to regulate AI

Trump in September said he would create a new AI force to oversee the development of the fast-moving technology, but has so far opposed any strict regulation that codifies pillars of AI safety into law.

"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!" Trump said in the September post where he announced he was going to choose an AI czar.

Leading up to the midterm elections in November, Trump has been under pressure to address concerns about AI risks. AI researchers and tech CEOs have sounded the alarm about the existential threat that the technology can pose.

Anthropic's chief executive Dario Amodei, for example, published an essay last month in which he called for a global slowdown in the race to develop AI. His call was met with agreement from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX CEO  Elon Musk. 

Trump, AI CEOs sign safety pact

The US president hosted a White House lunch for nearly 20 tech titans at the end of September, where he said there was an agreement in the room that there should be "tremendous self-regulation" by tech companies.

The tech leaders signed onto a one-page document that relies on companies to voluntarily follow through on their safety commitments. But the accord is largely symbolic since it is not an official order.

Edited by: Zac Crellin