Technology and Science23 September, 20262 min read
Scott Bessent Emerges As Frontrunner For Donald Trump’s AI Czar Role
Scott Bessent is emerging as the frontrunner for Trump's AI czar, per Semafor and others. Bessent opposes an AI liability shield, saying developers must be responsible for their actions.
Bessent in the running
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emerged as a frontrunner for President Donald Trump’s next artificial intelligence czar, with Semafor citing three sources familiar with the matter. White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Semafor that “any reporting about personnel decisions that have not been officially announced by the administration should be regarded as baseless speculation.” Bessent held an early dialogue with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Bessent and He discussed a potential US-China “notification mechanism” to facilitate communication about AI incidents that pose threats to national security, as part of talks about a formal US-China dialogue on AI. Trump’s decision on the AI point person is not final, and it said Trump favors dark-horse candidates.
AI Force and liability
Trump announced plans for an “AI Force” in a Sept. 19 Truth Social post, and Cointelegraph said he would name an AI czar soon without sharing many details about what the role would do.
Cointelegraph reported that Trump previously tapped David Sacks as his AI and crypto czar before Sacks stepped down after reaching his service limit as a special government employee.
Bessent told CNBC that AI developers should not expect the federal government to grant them a shield from liability, and it quoted Bessent saying, “Humans are responsible, not AI.”
Bessent said on Monday that AI companies “need to take responsibility for themselves” instead of relying on federal protection.
Quartz said Bessent’s weekend meetings included a session with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, described as a prelude to a Washington summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for the end of the week.
What Bessent would do
Bessent’s Cabinet job would not be a barrier if he were tapped, and it pointed to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum serving as the “energy czar” moniker. Bessent became more active in AI policymaking earlier this year after financial institutions told him advanced AI systems could make their systems vulnerable. Bessent told CNBC that “it is to put context, shape and contours around these questions, and they’re very important,” when discussing Trump’s AI czar.
Bessent’s approach also emphasized human accountability, and Semafor said he added that he thought humans are ultimately responsible for what AI does. Bessent’s role is being weighed alongside other names including Michael Kratsios and Scott Kupor, and Semafor said Kush Desai repeated that unannounced personnel reporting should be treated as baseless speculation.