"Why would I change him?"—Trump directly denies Bessent 'AI czar' speculation

[Financial News, New York—Reporter Lee Byung-chul]  U.S. President Donald Trump said he would not appoint Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as the 'AI czar' overseeing artificial intelligence policy. He ruled this out just days after Bessent emerged as a leading candidate. Attention is once again turning to who will lead the U.S.-China race for AI dominance.
On the 25th local time, Trump wrote on Truth Social, "Scott Bessent will not be the 'superintelligence (SI) czar.'"
Trump also explained his reasoning. "First, he does not want it," he said. "Second, he is doing an excellent job at the Treasury Department, and I want to keep him there." He added, "Why would I make such a change?"
Reuters and other outlets previously reported that Trump was considering Bessent as a candidate for AI czar. Bessent drew further attention as a potential candidate after recently meeting in New York with He Lifeng, vice premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, to discuss economic issues including AI security.
Meanwhile, on the 19th, Trump unveiled plans to establish an 'AI Force' modeled on the United States Space Force and said he would soon announce the AI czar who will lead it.
At the time, Trump said, "AI will be like the next Industrial Revolution or the internet, but much bigger and more influential," and raised the possibility that the AI industry could account for as much as 25% of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). He continued, "We are ahead of China and the rest of the world, and we will remain so."
Trump has recently also been actively using the term 'superintelligence (SI)' instead of AI. In a speech to the UN General Assembly on the 22nd, he said the U.S. government plans to use 'superintelligence' instead of 'artificial intelligence' in its official documents.
Amid the technological race for dominance with China, the Trump administration's AI policy is increasingly prioritizing industrial growth over regulation. Trump has repeatedly opposed calls to slow development because of AI's risks, maintaining that existing criminal and civil legal systems can address related problems.




[email protected] Reporter Lee Byung-chul Reporter