United States President Donald Trump said Friday that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will not serve as his administration's artificial intelligence czar, ruling out one of the leading candidates reportedly under consideration for the newly created role.
"Number One, he doesn’t want to. Number Two, he’s doing such a great job at Treasury, and that’s where I want to keep him! Why would I ever make such a change?" Trump wrote Friday in a Truth Social post. Last weekend, Trump said he will form an AI Force modeled on the Space Force and said he will name an AI czar in the near future. He gave no details on the AI Force's role, funding or place in government.
Three sources familiar with the matter told Semafor that Bessent was a "frontrunner" for the role, according to a Sept. 22 report. Semafor reported that Michael Kratsios, Scott Kupor and National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross were also in the mix.
"Just more Fake News," Trump concluded in his post.
Bessent has already been heavily involved in the administration’s AI policy. This latest update comes as the U.S. and China work on an AI "crisis mechanism" as safety concerns grow. Bessent had reportedly said the U.S. had proposed a notification mechanism between China and the U.S. for national security-related AI incidents.
"President Xi and Madam Peng have just left D.C., heading for China," Trump also said Friday. "The meeting was one of Friendship, Strength, and Success, for both China and the U.S.A. We will be meeting again in November, in China, and then at the G20 in December, in Miami, Florida. Much has been, and will be, accomplished."
David Sacks, who served as President Trump's AI and crypto czar from December 2024 to March 2026, recently called the viral AI doomsday warnings an orchestrated psyop.