Bessent Will Not Serve as Trump’s AI Czar
President Donald Trump said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will not become his artificial intelligence czar. Trump wrote on Truth Social that Bessent does not want the role and is needed at the Treasury Department. The announcement followed reports that Bessent was being considered for the position.
Trump’s statement followed earlier reporting by Semafor and Reuters that Bessent was under consideration for the role. In his post, the president said Bessent did not want the job and was needed at Treasury, where Trump said he was performing well.
The decision comes after Trump said in September he would create an “AI Force” similar to the Space Force and soon name an AI czar. He described AI as the next industrial revolution, potentially representing as much as a quarter of U.S. GDP, and said America was ahead of China and others.
The choice may affect how the White House coordinates AI policy across agencies, industry, and researchers. A czar could shape standards, procurement, and competitiveness; if the position remains unfilled or is defined differently, responsibilities may stay distributed, possibly slowing a unified strategy. Tech companies, workers, and consumers could feel effects through regulation, innovation pace, and access to AI tools. Since no formal role details are settled, impact remains uncertain.