Trump demands AI rebrand, launches "AI Force" with personal czar
President Donald Trump spent the weekend firing in every direction on Truth Social: he declared the phrase "artificial intelligence" inaccurate and inelegant, posted a poll to pick a replacement — "superintelligence," "extreme intelligence" or "supreme intelligence" — and announced a brand-new "AI Force" headed by an "AI czar" recruited exclusively from the high-IQ crowd. In the same breath he dismissed the entire safety debate as a Democratic plot to destroy the country.
the poll and the rebrand
"Many people think the words 'artificial intelligence' are not accurate and not elegant relative to AI," Trump wrote. He did not say who those people are. He did, however, rush out three alternatives that sound more like smartphone models than technical terms. The poll was still open at press time. The president did not explain how exactly he would compel industry, academia or regulators to adopt the winner.
the safety conspiracy theory
A few hours later Trump published a long post framing attempts at "destruction or elimination of AI" as one of "many" Democratic hoaxes — alongside "Russia, Russia, Russia," "Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine," global warming, two impeachments, "men in women's sports" and "transgender for everyone." He claimed the attack on data centers failed once people realized how wealthy and prestigious those facilities make their communities, so critics "are going straight for AI." The president offered no evidence that public concern is inauthentic. In reality, Republicans and Democrats alike have criticized data centers, and New York became the first state to pause permits for large projects.
AI Force and a new czar
Trump promised to "cherish, help and oversee the AI industry as it grows," comparing the new entity to the Space Force he created in his first term. He said he would announce an "AI czar" soon and added: "Only high IQ people need apply." No details on the force's powers or the czar's authority were provided. Venture capitalist Daivd Sacks, who served as AI and crypto czar in the administration, left earlier this year to become co-chair of the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
background: the safety fight that escalated
The outburst follows a sharp escalation in the existential-risk debate. A researcher who left Anthropic said the leading companies "genuinely believe this could kill us all by the end of the decade" and "are betting our lives on it." Chief executive Dario Amodei published a plan to "pace the frontier," which won public backing from OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman and Elon Musk. Industry critics argue the focus on existential threat distracts from more immediate harms.
industry backup
At the All-In Summit, which Sacks co-organizes, Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang joined Trump on stage, agreed that opposition to AI is a "hoax" and declared: "We are not going to let a slowdown happen." The joint appearance shows just how aligned the president and the industry are on framing the narrative — and leaves the question of actual oversight wide open.