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Title: Tech Industry Scratches Its Head Over Trump's 'AI Force' Proposal

Link: https://politics.slashdot.org/story/26/09/19/...

Saturday morning President Trump announced he's creating an AI task force and
appointing an AI czar, reports Politico. "I am forming the AI Force, much
like I did Space Force, which has been a tremendous SUCCESS," Trump wrote
Saturday in what Politico earlier described as "a lengthy Truth Social post
on Saturday morning." TRUMP: Over the years, there have been many Hoaxes, all
generated by the Radical Left Dumocrats, for purposes of destroying our
Country. RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, Global Warming,
Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2 [...] and now, the decimation, or
destruction, of AI, commonly known as Artificial Intelligence - And I, as
President of the United States, will not stand by and let this happen. It all
began with an attack on our Data Centers, until people realized how wealthy
and prestigious they were for the Communities in which they were built.
Higher Salaries, Lower Taxes, and Safer Streets, was the result, and the
crazed Data Center attack has largely failed, so now [...] they are going
straight at AI. We will not in any way hinder or stifle the Growth of this
incredible Industry. Rather, we will cherish it, help it, and watch over it,
as it grows! However, we will also be looking for BAD, and we can do that,
very easily, with our already existing Criminal and Civil Justice System. For
this purpose, I am forming the AI Force, much like I did Space Force, which
has been a tremendous SUCCESS, in my First Term. To that end, I will be
announcing, in the near future, the AI "Czar" - Only High I.Q. individuals
need apply! Trump concluded by saying AI "is the next Industrial Revolution,
or Internet, but will be even larger and more impactful... We are leading
China, and the rest of the World, and I intend to keep it that way!" But what
exactly is AI Force? "The White House did not immediately respond to a
request to clarify whether the agency would be military or civilian," notes
the Washington Post. So now "The tech industry is struggling to make sense of
President Donald Trump's surprise announcement," Politico reported Saturday
afternoon: Four representatives for the sector, who were granted anonymity
because they were not authorized to speak publicly, told POLITICO that the
industry was not widely informed of Trump's decision prior to the Truth
Social post. "Nobody knows what the idea even is," one of the people said.
Another said that feedback on the idea was not widely solicited within the
industry. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for
comment... "I think that he clearly feels pressure to say something, but he's
torn because he's just spent the last few days saying that the whole thing is
a hoax," Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the progressive tech industry coalition
Chamber of Progress, said of Trump and his prior dismissal of AI doomsday
scenarios. Since the departure of David Sacks, who stepped down as the Trump
administration's previous AI czar earlier this year, the White House has been
"making up AI policy as it goes," Kovacevich added. "I think it's clear
they've really missed the presence of an organized leader like David Sacks
was." One of the tech industry representatives said they were confused about
whether the task force would be charged with formulating more AI regulations
or recommending policies that would further stimulate the tech's development.
Taylor Barkley, director of federal government affairs at the industry-
aligned Abundance Institute, is eyeing it as a way to solidify a light-touch
government approach to the technology he says will foster innovation. "Any AI
Force or AI Czar should have one job: keep the field open so entrepreneurs at
every scale can compete, free from onerous regulation," he told POLITICO.
"Existing criminal and civil law can handle bad actors. New permission
regimes will stifle the very activity America needs most." It's worth noting
that the day before, California's governor made an announcement. "With Donald
Trump and Congress asleep at the wheel, Governor Gavin Newsom is once again
taking the lead to strengthen AI safety for all Americans," the governor's
office announced Friday. Newsom issued a strong executive order convening
experts to help California create new AI safety laws and reporting rules,
possibly even requiring safety auditors embedded in labs and emergency "kill
switches" in frontier models.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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