Bessent emerges as frontrunner for AI czar role

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is emerging as a frontrunner to lead President Donald Trump's newly announced artificial intelligence czar position, though no final decision has been made, according to people familiar with the discussions. Trump announced on Saturday that he would establish an AI Force modeled on Space Force and would name an AI czar, but he provided no details on either initiative. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the administration would not hinder the growth of the AI industry while also looking for wrongdoing through the existing criminal and civil justice system. Bessent has long played a central role in the administration's AI policy. This week he held talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, ahead of Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two discussed a potential US-China notification mechanism to facilitate communication about AI incidents that pose threats to national security, part of what Bessent described as talks about a formal US-China dialogue on AI.