Donald Trump wants to change what we call artificial intelligence. He also wants to build a brand new "AI Force" modeled after his Space Force.
If you spent the weekend scrolling through Truth Social or X, you likely saw the President's latest policy ideas dropped right alongside a public poll for renaming the tech sector's favorite buzzword. Trump argued that the phrase "artificial intelligence" sounds ineloquent and inaccurate. Instead, he floated terms like "Superior Intelligence," "Extreme Intelligence," or "Supreme Intelligence" and asked his millions of followers to vote.
While the naming poll might feel like standard social media theatre, the concurrent announcement of an upcoming "AI Force" and a new White House "AI czar" signals a real escalation in how Washington plans to handle the sector. Trump promised that his administration won't stifle the growth of the industry, pointing out that AI could eventually account for up to 25% of the United States Gross Domestic Product.
Why the White House Wants a New AI Czar
Trump's push for an AI Force comes right on the heels of major industry upheaval. Earlier in September, former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon warned that people building advanced models believe it could threaten humanity by the end of the decade. Top executives from OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI have faced mounting pressure to slow down development or accept heavy federal guardrails.
Trump takes the opposite view. He has repeatedly dismissed doomsday concerns as a hoax pushed by political opponents, insisting that excessive rules will only hand the global crown to China.
If Trump follows through on his latest pledge, this will mark his second AI adviser role. Venture capitalist David Sacks previously served as Trump's crypto and AI czar before stepping down in the spring to join the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Sacks has consistently argued that existing civil and criminal justice systems are enough to handle corporate liability, leaving no need for heavy-handed federal bureaucracy.
What an AI Force Actually Means
Details on the proposed AI Force remain scarce. When Trump established the Space Force during his first term, it turned into a brand new branch of the military focused on satellite defense and orbital operations. Whether an AI Force will operate as a federal oversight body, a specialized defense division, or a civilian advisory task force is still wide open.
Trump did offer one clue about who gets to run it. In his announcement, he wrote that "only High I.Q. individuals need apply" for the upcoming czar position.
The announcement lands at a critical diplomatic moment. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to meet with Chinese officials in New York, and Trump himself is preparing for high-stakes talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Both Washington and Beijing view neural networks and machine learning as essential economic and military assets.
The Real Risk of Over-Regulating Tech
You don't need a Washington insider badge to see why tech executives are nervous. On one side, safety advocates and European regulators want strict compliance checks before any frontier model ships. On the other side, American firms fear that handcuffs at home mean dominance abroad.
Trump's strategy relies on letting private enterprise sprint ahead while trusting courts to punish bad actors after the fact. Critics argue this leaves society exposed to rogue algorithms and deepfakes. Supporters argue that America's competitive edge is worth the friction.
Expect the upcoming White House tech summit to bring these tensions to a boil. Big tech CEOs like Sundar Pichai of Google and Jensen Huang of Nvidia are expected at the table alongside top administration officials.
Keep an eye on who gets named to the new post. That appointment will tell you everything you need to know about how the White House plans to balance national security with hyper-growth.
