Bessent Emerges as Trump’s Leading Contender for AI Czar Role
Scott Bessent is under consideration for a new White House AI policy role after leading US-China talks on technology risks. No decision has been made, and the proposed AI force’s powers remain undefined.
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A new center of gravity for technology policy
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is under consideration for a newly announced White House artificial-intelligence coordinator role, but no selection has been made, two people familiar with the discussions said Tuesday.yahoo President Donald Trump unveiled plans over the weekend for an adviser and an “AI force” without defining their authority, staffing or relationship to existing agencies.devdiscourse
The prospect would give an already influential economic official another portfolio spanning industrial competition, national security and technology oversight. Other names reportedly discussed include White House science and technology director Michael Kratsios and Office of Personnel Management director Scott Kupor.gizmodo
China talks put Bessent in the frame
Bessent’s candidacy follows 12 hours of talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York on Sunday, ahead of a planned Trump meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Bessent said the two sides discussed opening a communication channel for dangerous AI incidents, including threats involving autonomous agents, cyberattacks and biological weapons.cnbc
Washington also proposed a formal US-China AI dialogue and a safety-notification mechanism focused on incidents with national-security implications.firstpost That diplomatic work complements Bessent’s unusually broad set of assignments: he has helped direct trade policy, negotiated over Ukrainian critical minerals, temporarily led the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and serves as acting Internal Revenue Service commissioner.yahoo
The mandate remains the decisive question
The choice would arrive amid a tension in the administration’s approach. Trump has resisted new rules that could slow American AI companies, while lawmakers and industry leaders have raised alarms about increasingly capable systems.yahoo Bessent offered a clearer limit on Monday, telling CNBC that developers should take responsibility for their products rather than expect a federal liability shield.cnbc
An appointment alone would not settle who controls AI policy. The “czar” label is informal rather than a Cabinet office created by statute, and the White House has not disclosed whether the planned force would coordinate agencies, lead national-security planning or oversee industry policy.firstpost David Sacks, Trump’s previous AI and cryptocurrency adviser, left his formal special-government-employee position in March and continued as an outside adviser.gizmodo
Bessent’s selection could connect AI decisions more tightly to trade, sanctions and competition with China. It could also deepen concerns about concentrating major responsibilities in one official while leaving the new structure undefined. Until the White House specifies powers and personnel, the proposal is best understood as a direction of travel—not a settled system of governance.devdiscourse