US President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering appointing an “AI czar” in the White House to coordinate federal policy and the use of artificial intelligence, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing sources.
While Tesla CEO Elon Musk won’t take on the role, he is expected to significantly influence the future of AI debates and applications, the report added.
The proposed role, though not confirmed, is seen as part of Trump’s broader push to prioritise emerging technologies. According to Reuters sources, Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, leading Trump’s newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), will have substantial input into the appointment.
“Musk — who owns a leading AI company, xAI — has feuded publicly with rival CEOs, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Google’s Sundar Pichai. Rivals worry Musk could leverage his Trump relationship to favour his companies,” Axios stated.
Read also: AI Wars: Why Elon Musk and Sam Altman fell out over OpenAI
The AI czar would focus on harnessing public and private resources to maintain America’s AI leadership. Their responsibilities could include working with chief AI officers established under President Biden’s executive order and DOGE to address fraud and inefficiencies.
The idea has been under consideration for months, following Trump’s plan to restructure the White House to prioritise innovation, mirroring his National Energy Council model focused on energy dominance.
