US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Frontrunner for Trump's AI Czar Role

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has emerged as the leading candidate to serve as the next White House artificial intelligence czar, according to three sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Semafor. The development comes as President Donald Trump moves forward with plans for an "AI Force," announced via a Sept. 19 Truth Social post, aimed at addressing growing concerns about the technology's risks and its expanding role across the US economy.

Bessent is not the only name under consideration. Other contenders include White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios, Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor (a former managing partner at Andreessen Horowitz), and National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross. The czar role previously held by David Sacks, who simultaneously served as Trump's AI and crypto czar, became vacant earlier this year after Sacks reached his service limit as a special government employee. Sacks continues to advise the president through the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

A White House spokesperson pushed back on the reporting, telling Semafor that "any reporting about personnel decisions that have not been officially announced by the administration should be regarded as baseless speculation." Cointelegraph reached out to both the White House and the US Treasury Department for comment, though neither had responded by publication. Trump has not yet shared detailed plans for what the AI Force will specifically do or how it will be structured.

The appointment carries significant implications for the intersection of AI and digital assets policy. Bessent, who oversees the Treasury Department, would bring substantial influence over financial regulation to a role that could shape how artificial intelligence intersects with the crypto industry. As BlackRock recently noted, the potential for AI to drive crypto demand remains "underappreciated," suggesting that whoever lands the czar position could play a pivotal role in both sectors going forward.