On September 20, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he plans to establish an “AI Force,” a dedicated artificial intelligence force similar to the Space Force he created during his first term. Trump also said he would appoint an “AI czar” in the near future, adding the requirement that “only high-IQ people need apply.”
Notably, Trump provided no further details regarding structure, budget, or implementation roadmap. It remains unclear whether the AI Force would be a military branch, a civilian agency, or a unit under the White House. According to The New York Times, White House officials did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
Context: calls to slow down and mixed reactions
Trump’s post came during a week when the topic of “AI safety” dominated the media. On September 12, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei released a three-step proposal aimed at regulating the pace of AI development, arguing that without control, the technology could “exceed human understanding and control.”
Amodei’s proposal received positive responses from two highly influential figures: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk both voiced their support. However, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang opposed it, arguing that such regulation is unnecessary.
By September 21, Anthropic announced it had selected Accenture as its first embedded evaluator to implement step one of Amodei’s proposal, according to Cointelegraph.
The AI power vacuum in Washington
While Trump spoke about “managing the AI industry without adding regulations that could slow innovation,” reality shows that the U.S. still lacks a clear focal agency for AI policy. Unlike nuclear energy, which has the NRC, or aviation, which has the FAA, AI is currently regulated in a fragmented manner across multiple federal agencies.
Establishing an “AI czar” could fill this void, but it also raises questions about the actual power of the position. Will the appointee hold decision-making authority or merely serve in an advisory capacity? And how will an “AI Force” operate when the AI sector is advancing at a pace that even industry insiders struggle to keep up with?
Signals for the crypto and tech markets
For the crypto industry, this move carries two implications. First, AI and blockchain are increasingly intersecting, ranging from on-chain trading AI agents to AI-token projects. A dedicated federal-level AI agency could impact how AI-crypto projects are regulated. Second, Trump’s “no added regulations” message aligns with the tech-friendly stance pursued by the current administration, which helped the crypto market rebound strongly over the past year.
Details about the AI Force and the identity of the AI czar are expected to be announced in the near future. If the position is granted to an “industry-friendly” figure, it would be a positive signal for both AI and crypto. Conversely, if the actual power of this role is too limited, the “AI Force” may end up being more of a political symbol than a genuine policy turning point.