Trump Considers Appointing 'AI Czar' with Elon Musk's Influence

Trump Mulls AI Czar Role Under Musk's Radar

The AI Czar will be tasked with navigating the complex intersection of technology, ethics, and innovation, shaping policies that balance progress with societal concerns. President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering the appointment of an 'AI czar' to oversee federal policies and the government's use of artificial intelligence, Axios reported, citing sources. While the scope of the proposed initiative is yet to be defined, it is likely to be a collaborative effort with agency 'chief AI officers' established under President Biden's AI executive order. The AI Czar will be tasked with navigating the complex intersection of technology, ethics, and innovation, shaping policies that balance progress with societal concerns. It is expected to be part of a broader strategy to prioritise AI in the White House structure. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who are leading Trump's newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), are reportedly involved in the selection process for the AI czar position. While Musk himself is not a candidate for the role, he is anticipated to have a substantial impact on future AI debates and applications. Sol Rashidi, head of technology startups at AWS, North America, suggested several prominent women in AI as potential candidates for the AI czar role. These include Mira Murati, former CTO of OpenAI, who focused on human-centred AI systems; Fei-Fei Li, co-director of Stanford HAI and a leader in AI diversity; Daphne Koller, founder of Insitro and co-founder of Coursera, using AI for drug discovery; and Kate Crawford, a leading scholar on AI's social and political implications, who co-founded the AI Now Institute. As AI continues to shape various sectors, the role of the AI czar will be crucial in guiding the country's approach to AI innovation, regulation, and implementation. The Trump team has not officially commented on the report.

Trump considers naming an 'AI czar' | TechCrunch

Incoming president Donald Trump is considering naming an "AI czar" in the White House, Axios reports. Should Trump appoint such a policy person, they'd be charged with helping to coordinate federal regulation and governmental use of AI. Importantly, an AI czar wouldn't require Senate confirmation, Axios notes -- allowing them to get to work on the administration's goals faster. The AI czar role, which could end up being combined with a "crypto czar" role the White House is also reportedly mulling, would be complementary to the agency chief AI officers established under President Joe Biden's AI executive order. Trump, of course, could choose to eliminate those officers (and their offices) in favor of a more top-down governance approach. No names have been put forth for consideration. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the co-leaders of the extra-governmental org known as DOGE, will have significant input into who gets the AI czar role, according to Axios.

Here's What It Might Mean if Trump Names an AI Czar

Axios cites insiders who say the role is "likely but not certain," and that the person chosen for the role won't be Elon Musk. The billionaire Trump supporter will most likely be too busy co-leading the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort, as well as running his various tech companies, many of which rely on and are also developing AI systems. Musk will, however, be "intimately involved in shaping the future of the debate and use cases" for AI. Alongside Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, his partner at DOGE, will also have a say on who becomes the AI czar. Axios notes that rival AI companies to Musk's are already worried that he may leverage his connection to Trump to "favor his companies." These concerns have been spurred by the way Musk has publicly feuded with rival AI companies, most notably with OpenAI, which, via ChatGPT, is probably the market leading AI system around the world. Musk's frustration with OpenAI has even seen him file multiple lawsuits alleging that the company has deviated away from its promise to be an open source, not-for-profit entity. What will this czar do? That's an open question. But it seems likely, given Trump's penchant for America-first initiatives, that the czar's job will not involve regulating the AI industry. Instead the czar may become a champion for AI advances, helping direct both private and government resources toward creating increasingly capable AI systems in an effort to keep ahead of international efforts to develop AI -- with a weather eye on China, whose AI developments have already been targeted by U.S. lawmakers as potential national security threat.

Trump Eyes 'AI Czar' Position to Work With Elon Musk

President-elect Donald Trump is considering naming an "AI czar" to shape federal policy for the new technology, Axios reports. Although the role is not yet confirmed, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, co-leaders of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), are expected to help choose who gets it. Musk is expected to be intimately involved in setting the agenda for the position. The appointee would likely help coordinate public and private resources to guide AI investments. They would also work with DOGE to use AI to make the government more efficient and combat fraud. The AI czar may partner with federal chief AI officers, which major agencies were required to name as part of President Biden's AI Executive Order. Though Trump vowed to repeal the executive order during his campaign, it appears it may remain. Curtailing the rise of AI in China has also been a major focus for the Biden Administration, which would likely continue under Trump. In October, Biden finalized rules for restricting investment in Chinese AI companies that could threaten US national security, Reuters reports. The many Silicon Valley leaders who supported Trump and have poured billions into AI tech will likely be glad to hear of continued government interest in the technology. Musk's AI company, xAI, announced a $6 billion funding round in May to power the Grok chatbot that lives on X. Musk has been a vocal advocate of not restricting ("censoring") the output of chatbots, and he could push legislators in that direction. Grok is among the only AI image generators that allowed its users to create images of Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris during the election. X is now suing the state of California over a new law that prevents the creation and spread of misleading political deepfakes leading up to an election, CBS News reports. Musk could also have Trump's ear regarding self-driving cars, another form of AI, amid Tesla's robotaxi push. After vowing to "'stop [autonomous cars] from operating on American roads" on the campaign trail, the incoming administration is now reportedly looking at loosening federal regulations to promote adoption. Continued federal focus on AI is also expected to benefit the energy industry to power resource-gobbling data centers. The types of energy could vary. Trump repeated "drill, baby, drill" throughout his capaign, refering to US domestic oil and gas production, including fracking. But AI has also renewed interest in nuclear power, prompting Microsoft to revive the dormant Three Mile Island facility. Google also inked a nuclear power deal last month.

Trump eyes "AI czar", Axios reports

Nov 26 (Reuters) - Republican President-elect Donald Trump is considering naming an "AI czar" in the White House to coordinate federal policy and governmental use of artificial intelligence, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing sources. Tesla chief Elon Musk will not be the AI czar, but is expected to be involved in shaping the future of the debate and use cases, the report added. Reporting by Gursimran Kaur in Bengaluru, Editing by Louise Heavens Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:TechnologyDonald Trump

Trump Eyes 'AI Czar', Axios Reports

(Reuters) - Republican President-elect Donald Trump is considering naming an "AI czar" in the White House to coordinate federal policy and governmental use of artificial intelligence, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing sources. Tesla chief Elon Musk will not be the AI czar, but is expected to be involved in shaping the future of the debate and use cases, the report added. (Reporting by Gursimran Kaur in Bengaluru, Editing by Louise Heavens)

Trump Reportedly Weighs Concept of White House AI Czar | PYMNTS.com

President-elect Donald Trump could reportedly add an artificial intelligence czar to his new administration. The person would help oversee federal policy and government use of AI, Axios reported Tuesday (Nov. 26), citing unnamed sources on the Trump transition team. The role, which is likely but not definite, per the report, will not go to Elon Musk, although the billionaire and Trump supporter is expected to play a role in White House AI policy. Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who are heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is Trump's new outside-government group, will have input into who gets the job, the report said. Rivals are concerned that Musk will use his ties to the White House to favor his companies, which include the AI firm xAI, according to the report. Musk has been involved in public feuds with competing AI CEOs, such as Sam Altman of OpenAI and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Trump is also considering adding a cryptocurrency czar to his administration, and it's possible the role could be combined with the AI job, creating an emerging tech czar, the report said. Trump has said he would overturn President Joe Biden's comprehensive AI executive order, signed in October 2023, claiming the rule hinders innovation. Trump's first term as president saw limited focus on AI, although he issued the first executive order dealing with the technology in 2019, requiring federal agencies to prioritize AI research and development. Among the AI-related issues a new administration might need to address is the need for infrastructure to support the technology. "While foreign markets move quickly to build power systems for next-generation computing facilities, American utilities' lengthy deployment timelines for new electrical capacity could redirect billions in tech investment abroad and reshape the global AI landscape," PYMNTS wrote earlier this month. Relying on traditional approaches to expanding its power infrastructure will only cause the U.S. to fall behind, Allan Schurr, chief commercial officer at energy transition company Enchanted Rock, told PYMNTS. "Delays in adding new transmission and generation capacity, which can range from three to 10-plus years, will force companies to seek out alternative locations to support AI infrastructure," he said.

Just In: Donald Trump Eyes AI Czar In White House

The decision comes to coordinate federal policy and governmental use of the emerging technology. Republican Donald Trump has once again made global headlines with his latest decision to name AI Czar in the White House. A report on Tuesday revealed that the Republican is taking this decision to coordinate federal policy and the governmental use of this emerging technology. Simultaneously, the report indicated that Elon Musk will not be in the mentioned AI role but is expected to be involved in shaping the future and use cases of the model. As per a report by Axion dated November 26, Donald Trump is considering naming an "AI czar" in the White House to coordinate federal policy and the governmental use of artificial intelligence. Moreover, Elon Musk will reportedly support the endeavor, although he won't be the vitality behind the AI model. Notably, Axion rolled out that this development is likely, although officially, it is yet to be cemented. Elon Musk and V. Ramaswamy, D.O.G.E (Department of Government Efficiency) leads under Trump, remain poised to offer significant input into the development. Further, the report revealed that the new AI model will be charged with focusing both public and private resources to keep America at the AI forefront. Overall, this development has turned heads nationwide, while official comments by the Republican president remain much awaited.

Trump Team Considers 'AI Czar' Role, Musk Reportedly Set To Drive Federal AI Policy Shift - Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD), ARM Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM)

President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering the creation of a new role, an AI czar, to guide federal policy and government utilization of artificial intelligence. Elon Musk, although not a candidate for the position, is anticipated to have a significant impact on AI policy and its applications. What Happened: The appointment of an AI czar is expected but not yet finalized. Musk, along with Vivek Ramaswamy, is leading Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and will play a key role in the selection process for the AI czar, Axios reported on Tuesday. The AI czar's duties would involve coordinating public and private resources to ensure the U.S. remains a leader in AI. This role might also include working with agency chief AI officers and DOGE to tackle issues such as waste and fraud. The concept of an AI czar has been under discussion for several months as part of Trump's transition plans to focus on emerging technologies. See Also: Marc Benioff Says Future Of AI Not In Bots Like ChatGPT But In Autonomous Agents: We Aren't At The Moment Seen In Those 'Crazy' Movies Why It Matters: The potential appointment of an AI czar comes amid Trump's broader energy and technology strategies. His administration's push for fossil fuels could address AI's increasing energy demands, yet his stance on nuclear energy remains unclear. Trump initially supported nuclear energy, advancing several microreactor projects during his first term, but has recently expressed concerns about its risks in a conversation with Joe Rogan. Recently, Nvidia Corp. NVDA CEO Jensen Huang mentioned that global cooperation in technology would continue despite potential export controls on advanced computing products by the incoming U.S. administration. Additionally, Trump's return to the White House could significantly benefit Tesla Inc.'s AI initiatives. According to Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, Trump's presidency might unlock substantial AI valuation for Tesla, despite potential challenges for the broader electric vehicle sector. Price Action: As per Benzinga Pro, at 7:51 am ET, Nvidia was trading 1.21% higher, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD was up by 1.04% while Arm Holdings PLC - ADR ARM was up by 0.37%. Read Next: Intel's Federal Chips Grant Shrinks Below $8B As Biden Administration Recalibrates CHIPS Act Funding: Report Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Image via Flickr Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs