President Donald Trump announced Saturday he intends to establish a new "AI Force," drawing a parallel to the creation of Space Force during his previous term. This initiative comes as he reiterated his stance that widespread fears surrounding artificial intelligence development are a "hoax."

Trump's proposal to create a dedicated "AI Force" and appoint an "AI czar" aims to address potential negative aspects of the technology. He stated that the U.S. would "cherish" and "help" the industry's growth while simultaneously watching over it to mitigate risks. The announcement, made via social media, occurred amidst growing concerns from prominent figures in the technology sector about the rapid advancement of AI.

The president suggested that existing legal frameworks, including the criminal and civil justice systems, would be sufficient to handle any "bad aspects" of AI, rejecting the notion that new regulations were immediately necessary. This approach contrasts with calls from some lawmakers and industry leaders for more stringent guardrails to manage AI's potential dangers.

It remains unclear what specific functions or mandate this proposed "AI Force" would entail. The creation of Space Force, established in 2020 as the sixth branch of the U.S. Armed Forces under the Department of Defense, required an act of Congress. Any new armed forces branch would likely necessitate similar legislative action. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Trump's latest comments echo his earlier dismissals of AI risks as a "hoax" and a "SICK conspiracy." This stance appears to align with perspectives shared by some advisors. David Sacks, co-chair of Trump's science and technology council and former White House AI and crypto czar, recently suggested that existing regulations might be adequate, emphasizing the highly regulated nature of the administrative state.

This initiative follows recent warnings from AI leaders. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have publicly advocated for a slower pace of AI development to ensure that technological capabilities do not outpace alignment and monitoring efforts. These concerns have also prompted some legislators to call for increased oversight.

Trump's administration previously established Space Force in December 2019, making it the first new branch of the U.S. military since the creation of the Air Force in 1947. The new branch is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping space forces to protect U.S. interests in space.

The president's focus on fostering AI growth while simultaneously planning for oversight indicates a balancing act, though the specifics of how the "AI Force" would operate and interact with existing regulatory bodies remain undefined.