Trump proposes renaming AI entirely — and announces plans for an "AI Force

President Donald Trump has waded into the ongoing AI safety debate, describing concerns about the technology as the latest in a series of what he calls hoaxes "generated by the Radical Left Dumocrats, for purposes of destroying our Country." The comments, posted on his social platform Truth Social, come as scrutiny of AI and data centers intensifies across the political spectrum, and as the White House signals new moves to oversee the industry.

A Poll to Rename AI

Trump opened the conversation on Saturday with a linguistic complaint, writing that "many people think that the words 'Artificial Intelligence' are inaccurate, and very ineloquent." To settle the matter, he launched a poll asking followers to choose a replacement name from three options: Superior Intelligence, Extreme Intelligence, or Supreme Intelligence. The poll remained open at the time of publication.

AI Safety Joins a List of "Hoaxes"

A few hours later, Trump escalated his message, claiming that efforts at "the decimation, or destruction, of AI" represent one of "many" Democratic hoaxes. He placed AI safety concerns alongside what he described as previous hoaxes, including "RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, Global Warming, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2, Men in Women's Sports, [and] Transgender for Everyone."

The president vowed that he "will not stand by and let this happen," arguing that the campaign against AI "began with an attack on our Data Centers" before critics realized how "wealthy and prestigious" those facilities were for their surrounding communities. With the "crazed Data Center attack" having "largely failed," he said, opponents are now "going straight at AI."

Trump offered no evidence that skepticism of AI and data centers is inauthentic rather than genuine. In fact, opposition to data centers has crossed party lines, and New York recently became the first state to halt permits for large-scale projects. His remarks also echo what he told reporters at a golf tournament the previous weekend, when he said he was open to "guardrails" but added, "I think you have a lot of negative forces that are bringing it up that shouldn't be bringing it up."

An AI Force and an AI Czar

Alongside his defense of the industry, Trump promised to "cherish" AI, "help it, and watch over it, as it grows" — and to create an AI Force, modeled on the Space Force he established during his first term. He also announced plans to name an AI "Czar" in the near future, adding, "Only High I.Q. individuals need apply!"

He did not specify what responsibilities either role would carry. Venture capitalist David Sacks, who previously served as Trump's AI and crypto czar, stepped down earlier this year to co-chair the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

A Broader Industry Fight

Trump's posts land amid a heated moment for AI safety. The debate intensified after an AI researcher announced he was leaving Anthropic, warning that leading AI companies "earnestly believe it could kill us all by the end of the decade" and are "gambling with our lives." Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei subsequently put forward a plan to "pace the frontier," which appeared to gain support from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Skeptics of the industry counter that warnings about existential risk distract from AI's more immediate harms.

Meanwhile, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called Trump on stage at the All-In Summit — an event Sacks co-hosts — agreed that the AI backlash is a "hoax," and declared, "we're not going to let" a slowdown happen.

With an AI czar announcement teased and safety debates escalating on both sides, the administration's next moves on AI oversight will be closely watched.