President Donald Trump said on Saturday, September 19, 2026, that he intends to create an "AI Force" — a body modeled on the Space Force he established in his first term — and to appoint a czar to oversee artificial intelligence policy across the federal government.
Both announcements came in posts on Truth Social rather than at an event or through an executive order, and neither came with the details that would normally define a new federal entity. Trump did not say what the AI Force would do, what budget it would have, or where in the government it would sit.
No new rules, existing courts
What he was specific about was the regulatory posture. "We will not in any way hinder or stifle the Growth of this incredible Industry," Trump wrote. Rather than write new rules for artificial intelligence, the administration intends to pursue misconduct through "our already existing Criminal and Civil Justice System."
That framing places the AI Force closer to a promotional and coordinating body than a regulator — a distinction that matters, because the Space Force it is modeled on is an armed service with a budget line and a chain of command, while the czar role being revived alongside it is a White House advisory post with neither.
Trump tied the case for a hands-off approach to competition with China, comparing artificial intelligence to the Industrial Revolution and the arrival of the internet, and predicting the technology could eventually account for roughly 25% of US economic output.
"Only High I.Q. individuals need apply"
On the czar position, Trump said an announcement was near and added a hiring note: "Only High I.Q. individuals need apply!" He named no candidate.
The job is not new. David Sacks held a formal role as the administration's artificial intelligence and crypto czar until March 2026 and has continued to advise informally since leaving it. Reviving the post signals the White House wants a single visible owner for AI policy again, at a moment when calls for federal guardrails have been growing louder.
A renaming contest
In a separate post the same day, Trump asked the public to suggest a replacement for the term "artificial intelligence," floating "Superior Intelligence" and "Extreme Intelligence" as possibilities. He objected to the word artificial.
Reporting from Axios, Fox News and Al Jazeera.
